Special Education Referral Process

Mystery surrounds these special kids. First of all, many parents try to hide them - not willing to admit that their kids may be impaired or disabled in some way. When they get to school, their friends whisper about them, and their teachers don’t know what to do with them.

First, who are these special kids? They are kids with needs arising out of a learning disability or a physical impairment. Some are obvious, some are not. But they all need someone to understand them, encourage them, and give them an education plan they can follow to be successful in life. More than anything else, they need to be accepted and welcomed into our world. But before they get that plan, they have to be identified and referred to the program by people in their lives. In this blog, I am going to look into how that is done: the referral process and what it involves.

Different countries have different policies on special education, and some international organisations are working to enforce some of these policies to ensure that children with disabilities get the services they need. UNESCO reports that more than one billion people around the world, of whom nearly 93 million are children, live with some form of disability. The  United Nations works with member states to enforce laws that fight for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Countries, like the United States, have laws, one of which is the Individual with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) promoting the rights of disabled children to get an education. By this law, children with any of the disabilities specified by IDEA will receive services designed to meet their unique needs. To get funding, the child will need to go through a testing process to ensure that he/she has one or more of the disabilities. Once the child is identified as a deserving candidate, the child will receive total support that he/she needs to get an education. 

In Singapore, the government provides schools and special services for children with disabilities, but the procedure for referral is not quite so clear. A child with a disability can be referred for testing either by the parents or the school. If a teacher is concerned about the learning ability of a student, he/she can refer the child to the school learning support teacher, who will then present the case to the principal. The principal contacts the psychologist, and it is the psychologist who will test the student and make the final decision. Or, in some cases, parents can approach the class teacher for their child to be referred for testing. In either case, it is the psychologist who gives the final word.

It is evident that in Asian countries, not all kids with special needs get the support or services they need. One can think of many reasons for this. Due to stigma attached to disabilities, some parents would keep their children at home. Some parents, no doubt do it to protect their children from bullying and other forms of abuse. Moreover, special education is not compulsory, so some parents do not make the effort to avail these services for their children. Whatever the reason, these children do not get the education that is the right of every person.

Evidently, a lot more needs to be done to get all children with special needs into the right programs.  If it’s a physical disability, any parent would take steps to ensure that his/her child gets help, but what if it is a learning disability that is not obvious? As one special education commented: 'Many parents are not even aware that their child has a learning disability.' So, teachers have the responsibility of identifying these children in their classes and getting them the support they need. Many of these kids need an individualized educational plan (IEP).

How does a teacher identify a kid who needs learning support? According to a teacher from California, the signs are:

•  lack of comprehension
•  not being able to read, or struggling to read
• Writing below basic level, or not writing at all
• Lack of focus
• behaviour issues
• problems with peer relations
• Seeking too much attention
• trying to avoid all attention and tasks

She takes these steps in identifying kids with a learning disability:

•  Give a diagnostic test
• Pair with students more capable of grade level work
• if student continues to struggle in comprehending or performing required tasks, or consistently fails to turn in work
•  refer to special education department
• further tests by special education department
• put into special education program if found to be eligible

On the topic of special education, teachers in both the US and Singapore say that schools in their countries are moving toward inclusion. So it looks like tomorrow’s classroom will have a wide range of learning abilities, including children with learning and physical disabilities. Teachers will need to know their students well, and be able to deliver instruction that will meet the needs of each student. The next question that comes to mind is, how can teachers ensure that they are meeting the learning needs of all students? A special education teacher advises that all teachers should go through an orientation or training course to learn more about dealing with special needs kids.

In conclusion, if a child with a learning disability does not get the help he or she needs, the child struggles in school and everyone else involved in the child's life struggle along with the child. Life for the child becomes one of failures and frustrations and disappointments. For that child, a personalised learning plan will make all the difference, and this, I believe, is where a teacher can step in to be the link between the child and success.