Appendix II
What Do These Reports Look Like?

In this appendix, we provide six different examples of reports using a question-driven, referral-based report model. The first thing you may notice is that although they all use the same model, they also look different from each other. This is because there are two different authors who have both implemented this model in their own ways and writing styles. For example, Michael tends to write about the assessment tools he chooses in statements, where Jeanne Anne uses a list organized around the RIOT model. In Jeanne Anne’s reports, she includes an italicized and bolded answer to the evaluation question directly after the question, and then provides the narrative of how she got to this answer, whereas Michael usually uses thematic statements throughout the narrative to answer evaluation questions. Please note, these are simply personal writing differences and the key elements of the report writing style are all intact. We have purposefully selected reports that represent children of different ages and Special Education eligibilities as well as reports that have slightly different formats and styles. All of them are consistent with the approach we advocate but offer options for your consideration. We want to remind you that we have changed all identifying information to preserve the confidentiality of the children, parents, teachers, and other professionals we mention in these samples.

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Example 1: High School Student, Reevaluation Assessing for Intellectual Disability

This report is written at a 12.1 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 16% passive sentences.

Name: Mike Stewart

Chronological Age: 17-3

 

Reason for Referral and Assessment Questions:

Mike’s mother referred him for an evaluation. He has received special education services since Kindergarten. He was eligible for special education services as a student with a “developmental delay” until May of DATE, when his special education classification was changed to “specific learning disability.” In eighth grade, Mike was reevaluated and his classification was again changed to “speech and language impairment.” Mike currently attends Local City High School where he is enrolled in a combination of general education classes, general education classes with push-in special education support, and special education classes. His current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) has goals in reading comprehension, written expression, vocabulary, algebra, math calculation, auditory processing, figurative language, and organization.

When interviewed, Mrs. Stewart said that Mike’s “cognitive levels are low.” She was also concerned about his short-term memory and his performance in math. In math, she says he has trouble remembering steps and procedures to solve math problems.

This assessment is being conducted to answer the following questions:

1. What are Mike’s current levels of intellectual and academic development?
2. How well developed are Mike’s adaptive skills? For example, how independent is he at home and in the community?
3. What is Mike’s current level of social and emotional development?
4. What is the most appropriate educational diagnosis or classification for Mike?
5. What changes, if any, are needed in Mike’s Individualized Education Plan for him to make adequate progress toward district and state academic standards?
6. What changes, if any, are needed in Mike’s Transition Plan for him to achieve his post-secondary goals?

Assessment Procedures:

1. Review of school records, including prior assessment reports from the school district as well as a local mental health clinic.
2. Mrs. Stewart was interviewed on 1/17/DATE, 1/27/DATE, and 2/17/DATE. On 1/27/DATE, Mrs. Stewart was interviewed using the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scales Survey Interview form. Mrs. Stewart also completed the Behavior System for Children–3, Structured Developmental History, and the Social Skill Improvement System Rating Scale.
3. Mike was interviewed on 1/27/DATE, 2/13/DATE, and 2/27/DATE. On 2/13/DATE, he completed the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II, Non-Verbal Index. On 2/27/DATE, he also completed the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale.
4. Mrs. Hass, Michael’s Speech and Language Therapist, was interviewed on 1/27/DATE. Mrs. Hass also completed the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale and the teacher version of the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale.
5. Mr. Smith, Mike’s Life Science teacher, completed the teacher version of the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale on 2/26/DATE.

Background Information and Record Review:

Background information about Mike was obtained from a review of his school records and Mrs. Stewart’s responses to questions on the Behavioral Assessment for Children–3, Structured Developmental History (BASC-3 SDH), which she completed as part of this evaluation.

Mike is an only child who lives at home with his mother and stepfather. Mrs. Stewart separated from Mike’s biological father when he was about nine months old. When interviewed, Mike said he does not see his biological father and described him as “out of the picture.” Mrs. Stewart and Mike’s stepfather have been together for about 12 years.

Mrs. Stewart was healthy during her pregnancy with Mike and she and Mike were healthy at his birth. Mike appears to have met his early developmental milestones within typical time periods. For example, he stood alone at 9 months, walked at 10 months, spoke first words at 1 year, and spoke in sentences at 2 years.

Mike has scoliosis of the spine but this does not cause him pain or limit his physical activity. Mike is currently healthy and has normal vision and hearing. Although his vision and hearing are normal, Mike has been identified as having deficits in both visual and auditory processing.

In December 2004, Mike was assessed at a private speech-and-language therapist. A report of this evaluation describes Mike as having deficits in several areas of auditory processing and recommends the use of a personal FM monitoring system. According to Mrs. Stewart, Mike used an FM monitor to assist with auditory processing until it was “faded” in high school.

Tom Hathaway, Vision Specialist, also assessed Mike in December of DATE to determine if he had a visual processing deficit. Mr. Hathaway’s report describes Mike as having good visual acuity and normal “basic eye functions.” The report also describes Mike as having visual processing deficits and recommends several classroom accommodations. A vision progress report written by Mr. Hathaway and dated 1/27/DATE recommends that Mike be dismissed from the “vision consultation program.”

In April of DATE, Jim Brady, MD, assessed Mike. Dr. Brady’s report notes that Mike was doing well socially at the time but goes on to describe him as having a “very unusual form of high-functioning autism.” Dr. Brady also notes a history of having difficulty with transitions, sensitivity to loud sounds, and an “affinity” to textures.

As noted above, Mike has received special education services since Kindergarten. At different times since then, he has been classified as a student with a developmental delay, a learning disability, and a speech and language impairment. Autism and intellectual disability have also been considered as possible educational diagnoses but have been ruled out by prior evaluations. Mike received special education services in a special day class from first through eighth grade. He was retained in the fifth grade. Mrs. Stewart notes in the BASC-3 SDH that at the time, she did not believe that Mike was mature enough for middle school.

As noted above, Mike is currently enrolled at Local City High School in a combination of general education classes, general education classes with push-in special education support, and special education classes.

Responses to Assessment Questions: The information below is organized by the assessment questions listed above. In the response to each question, the italicized statements in the text boxes are summaries or theme statements. Supporting information is in the text that follows each statement.

What are Mike’s current levels of intellectual and academic development?

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Mike’s academic development is mixed. He is currently earning A’s and B’s in all of his classes, including his general education classes of Life Science and Guitar. His academic skills, as measured by the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement, are in the low to low-average range and his performance on state testing is “far below basic” in Algebra, English–Language Arts, Life Science, and World History. He has not yet passed the high school exit exam.

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Mike’s 3/16/DATE Individualized Education Program (IEP) has goals in reading comprehension, written expression, vocabulary, algebra, math calculation, auditory processing, figurative language, and organization. Mike is currently enrolled in special education for history and study skills. He is enrolled in a collaborative English class, where special education support is available in the general education class. In addition, Mike takes general education classes in guitar and life science. He also receives 45 minutes weekly of speech and language therapy.

A report card dated 1/27/DATE shows Mike as earning two A’s and three B’s. His English and Study Skills teachers both comment that he is a pleasure to have in class. Mike has twice taken, but not passed, the High School Exit Exam. At the time of his last state testing in May of DATE, Mike earned scores that were described “far below basic” in Algebra, English-Language Arts, Life Science, and World History.

As part of his three-year reevaluation in November and December of DATE, Mike was given the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH). Mike’s performance in reading, written language, and math generally fell in the range of scores considered low to low-average. For example, he earned a standard score of 85 in Broad Reading, a standard score of 82 in Broad Written Language, and a standard score of 81 in Broad Math.

Mike’s global intellectual abilities have been assessed several times with different standardized tests. He has consistently scored in the range of scores considered low to very low.

Mike’s intellectual abilities have been assessed eight times since DATE using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II, the Stanford Binet IV, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV. His performance on the Stanford Binet IV, administered when he was in Kindergarten, was average. The other seven times his intellectual abilities were assessed, his scores were consistently below average, ranging from a standard score of 67 to a standard score of 74. In addition, Mike’s performances across the various cognitive abilities assessed by these tests have been consistent. The one exception to this was the recent administration in December of DATE of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV by Western Youth Services. In this case, Mike’s verbal skills as measured by the Verbal Comprehension Index fell in the low-average range while his other scores, including the full scale IQ, were below average, ranging between standard scores of 71 and 76.

Given Mike’s history of difficulties with oral language, as part of this evaluation he was given the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II, Nonverbal Index (KABC II NVI). The KABC II NVI assesses intellectual ability by using tests that do not require verbal expression and use only simple verbal instructions.

Mike’s performance on the KABC II NVI was also significantly below average. His standard score of 72 is similar to his performance on prior assessments of his intellectual ability.

How well developed are Mike’s adaptive skills? For example, how independent is he at home and in the community?

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There are significant differences between Mike’s independence at home and at school. At home and in the community, Mike seems much less independent than typical for someone his age. At school, Mike’s adaptive behavior appears more typical.

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As part of this evaluation, Mrs. Stewart was interviewed regarding Mike’s adaptive behavior using the Vineland II Adaptive Behavior Scales Survey Interview form. In addition, Mrs. Hass, Michael’s Speech and Language Therapist, completed the Vineland II Adaptive Behavior Scales Teacher Rating form.

Adaptive behavior can be defined as the ability to cope with everyday demands and includes the skills persons use to take care of themselves and relate to others. On the Vineland II, this includes communication skills, daily living skills, and social skills. Performance on the Vineland II is described as adequate, moderately low, or low. These classifications are based on comparisons with other persons the same age as Mike.

Mike’s mother appears to view him as being much less independent than other 17-year-olds. Her responses to the Vineland II fall in the range of scores considered low or moderately low. This represents standard scores of 68 in daily living skills, 74 in communication skills, and 76 in socialization.

Mrs. Stewart views Mike as more dependent on routines and parent prompting than is typical for students his age. She says that although Mike can hold a conversation for at least 10 minutes, he has difficulty explaining ideas in more than one way or giving directions to others. He can care for his own basic grooming but does not always choose clothes appropriate for the weather. He washes his own clothes on family “laundry day” but does not use a stove or oven to cook without supervision. Mike uses the phone appropriately but cannot use public transportation.

In contrast to Mrs. Stewart’s perceptions of Mike at home, Mrs. Hass appears to see Mike has having typical adaptive behavior skills. Her scores on the teacher version of the Vineland fell in the “adequate” range. Her responses resulted in standard scores of 94 in daily living skill, 93 in communication, and 103 in socialization.

Mike’s current Individual Transition Plan, which was developed at the time of his last IEP on 1/16/DATE, notes that he wants to seek training to work in a music store and live independently. The transition plan notes that Mike wants to play guitar in a band. Recommended activities include researching employment opportunities, developing self-advocacy skills, and developing a budget for living expenses.

What is Mike’s current level of social and emotional development?

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During the assessment, Mike was cooperative and did not show obvious signs of anxiety or depression. He has goals for the future and enjoys music and playing the guitar. Mike reports friends outside of school and views himself as having typical social skills. Despite this, he seems to have limited social interactions at school.

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Mike was interviewed on 1/27, 2/13, and 2/27/DATE. On 2/13/DATE, Mike also completed the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS). During the initial interview, Mike was cooperative and responded to questions openly. Mike views himself as doing well in his classes but believes he needs more help in math. Mike talked about seeing a therapist this past summer because he needed to learn about “communicating better.” He said he thought therapy was helpful at first, but after a while, he felt he no longer needed it.

Mike enjoys music and playing the guitar. At home, he reports doing chores and homework and playing the guitar. When asked about his goals, Mike said he wanted to live on his own and work in a music store.

A report of an evaluation conducted by Local Mental Health Clinic in December of DATE says that Mike presented with “flat affect and his mood was unusually apathetic, irritable, anxious, or depressed.” During the three interviews conducted as part of this evaluation, Mike did not express a wide range of emotions but also did not seem unusually anxious, sad, or irritable. When interviewed as part of this evaluation, Mike did say that sometimes he does not sleep well because his “mind races.” Mike talked about visiting friends outside of school but said that at lunch he mostly walks around and “says hi” to people.

The SSIS Rating Scales assesses a variety of positive social skills such as sharing, helping others, and controlling one’s temper. These positive social skills are organized into seven areas or subscales: Communication, Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, Engagement, and Self-Control. Scores in these areas are described as Below Average, Average, and Above Average. A Below Average behavior level indicates that the individual may need assistance to improve the skills in that area. The SSIS Rating Scale also assesses negative or maladaptive behaviors such as externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression, acting out), bullying, hyperactivity/inattention, internalizing problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, withdrawal), and behaviors associated with the autism spectrum.

Mike’s responses to the SSIS suggest he sees himself as having above-average positive social skills and average levels of maladaptive or problem behaviors.

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Mrs. Stewart does not see Mike as anxious or depressed. She views him as having average basic social skills but notes problems with turn-taking and eye contact. She also notes problems with acting without thinking, being easily distracted, and becoming upset when his routine changed.

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When Mrs. Stewart was interviewed, she said that she did not believe Mike was anxious or depressed. She views him as fitting in socially but also sees him as having difficulty making social judgments. Mrs. Stewart completed the parent version of the SSIS Rating Scale. Her responses to the SSIS suggest that overall, she sees Mike as having average social skills. Although her global perception of Mike’s social skills was average, she rated him as having fewer skills in the area of communication. For example, she rated him as “seldom” taking turns in or making eye contact during conversations.

Mrs. Stewart also appears to view Mike as having several maladaptive behaviors. For example, she noted that he often acts without thinking, is easily distracted, and becomes upset when his routine is changed.

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At school, Mike’s teachers view him as having typical social skills and few problem behaviors. One of Mike’s teachers sees a need for him to assert himself more. Although Mike has generally typical social skills at school, he does not appear to have many friends and has difficulty with verbal comprehension.

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Three teacher reports from December of DATE all describe Mike as having “excellent” or “average” relationships with his peers and adults. He is consistently described as “respectful” and having a positive attitude toward school.

Mrs. Hass said that Mike has one friend at school. She believes that Mike often pretends he comprehends things and will “talk around” things he does not understand. She thinks he needs things broken down into parts or steps for him to comprehend.

Both Mrs. Hass and Mr. Lopez, Mike’s Life Science teacher, completed the teacher versions of the SSIS Rating Scale. Both Mrs. Hass and Mr. Lopez view Mike as having average social skills and average levels of maladaptive behaviors. Although Mr. Lopez views Mike’s social skills as generally average, his ratings suggest that Mike may have fewer skills in the area of assertion than is typical. For example, Mr. Lopez said that Mike “never” “questions rules that may be unfair” and “seldom” “stands up for himself when treated unfairly.”

What is the most appropriate educational diagnosis or special education classification for Mike?

At different times, Mike has been diagnosed as having a specific learning disability and a speech and language impairment. In addition, autism has been considered but ruled out on at least three occasions. The information from this and past assessments does not seem to support these diagnoses as the most appropriate diagnoses.

For example, Mike does not have a discrepancy between his academic achievement and his intellectual ability. In fact, his achievement, as assessed by both his performance on standardized tests and in the classroom, is better than what might be predicted by his assessed intellectual ability. In addition, Mike does not have the kind of inconsistency in his cognitive abilities that would suggest a specific or narrow cognitive weakness often associated with learning disabilities.

There is strong evidence that Mike’s oral communication and language skills are significantly below those of his peers. Although this fits the state and federal definition for a student with a speech and language impairment, it does not seem that this diagnosis alone captures Mike’s pattern of strengths and limitations.

The State Education Code defines autism in the following way: “A pupil exhibits any combination of the following autistic-like behaviors, to include but not limited to: (1) an inability to use oral language for appropriate communication; (2) a history of extreme withdrawal or relating to people inappropriately and continued impairment in social interaction from infancy through early childhood; (3) an obsession to maintain sameness; (4) extreme preoccupation with objects or inappropriate use of objects or both; (5) extreme resistance to controls; (6) displays peculiar motoric mannerisms and motility patterns; (7) self-stimulating, ritualistic behavior.”

Although Mike has difficulties with verbal communication, this does not seem to constitute an “inability to use oral language for appropriate communication.” Mike also does not appear to have “extreme withdrawal,” “extreme resistance to controls,” “peculiar motoric mannerisms,” or “self-stimulating behavior.” Mrs. Stewart describes Mike has having difficulty when his routine changes, but this does not seem to rise to the level of an “obsession to maintain sameness.” Although Mike has limited friendships and does not seem as socially independent as others do his age, he appears to have good basic social skills. Taken together, these suggest that autism is not an appropriate educational diagnosis for Mike.

State Education Code defines an intellectual disability as consisting of two main components. One is “significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning.” There is not a precise definition of subaverage in the educational code although standard scores on standardized tests of intelligence that fall between 70 and 75 are typically accepted as meeting this criterion. As noted above, Mike has a consistent pattern of subaverage performance on assessments of his general intellectual ability. These assessments have involved different tests and taken place over several years.

The second component of the definition of intellectual disability is having significantly fewer adaptive behavior skills than typical for a person’s age. Mrs. Stewart’s responses to the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale II suggest that Mike is much less independent than his peers are. According to Mrs. Stewart, Mike is more dependent on routines and parent prompting than typical for a student his age. Although Mike seems more independent at school, the evidence suggests that outside of the formal demands of school, he needs more structure and support than typical for students his age.

Given his history and pattern of scores and performances, it seems an educational diagnosis of intellectual disability best captures Mike’s pattern of strengths and limitations.

What changes, if any, does Mike need in his IEP for him to continue to make adequate progress toward district and state academic standards?

Mike appears to be making adequate progress toward his IEP goals. If he continues to fail the High School Exit Exam, the IEP Team should consider further accommodations or exemption from the exam. At this point, Mike’s current goals and services seem appropriate to meet his academic needs.

At the same time, Mike needs to learn to be more independent and be prepared for post-secondary life. In addition to learning to use public transportation, Mike should consider enrolling in a vocational class through the Local Occupational Program (LOP). For example, the LOP has classes in Music Technology, which may fit his interests. The IEP Team may also consider setting up a work internship with a special education program so that Mike can gain experience as a classroom aide.

Mike also reports very limited interaction with others outside the classroom. Given this, he may benefit from some kind of informal friendship group where students who need to learn social skills meet to practice social skills in an informal setting with adult supervision.

Mike clearly does best with structure. Given this, it will be important for him to learn organizational skills such as using a calendar and keeping a to-do list that will allow him to begin to plan and structure his own time and tasks.

What changes, if any, are needed in Mike’s Transition Plan for him to achieve his post-secondary goals?

Mike’s current Individual Transition Plan includes activities such as completing a “pre-employment training” class, updating his resume, researching employment opportunities, developing self-advocacy skills, and developing a budget for living expenses. These seem appropriate although it would be helpful to break down in more detail the specific self-advocacy skills needed. This may be especially important given that one of Mike’s teachers views him as having fewer assertion skills than typical for his age.

As discussed above, the IEP Team should also consider having Mike enroll in an LOP class of his choice and doing a work internship as a classroom aide. It may also be useful to have Mike visit local community colleges to explore their course offerings, programs, and admission processes. In addition to these activities, the IEP Team should consider connecting Mike to the Department of Rehabilitation for post-secondary services.

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Example 2: Elementary Student, Initial Evaluation Assessing for Specific Learning Disability Using RTI

This report is written at an 11.5 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 18% passive sentences.

Student: Max Wilson	School: Ideal Elementary
Gender: Male	Primary Language: English
Age: 12.2	Current Placement: Gen Ed
Grade: 5th

Reason for Referral: Max has attended Ideal Elementary School in Current Unified School District (CUSD) for 8 months. This school year Max received interventions to increase his reading fluency and writing skills. With this intensive support, Max’s overall growth in language arts has been steady. However, he is at risk for retention because he is not meeting the district’s fifth-grade literacy promotion standard. He was referred for a psychoeducational evaluation by the Students Success Team (SST) due to concerns with his academic progress in reading and written language. During interviews with Max’s mother, she also noted significant environmental issues, including poor attendance due to multiple home and school changes, which she believes have negatively impacted Max’s academic and emotional development. The focus of this evaluation is to determine Max’s eligibility and need for special education services. The following questions were addressed as part of this evaluation:

• How do previous schooling, environmental factors, and health issues impact Max’s current academic achievement?
• What are Max’s current academic skills in reading, written language, and math?
• What is Max’s general range of cognitive functioning and what are his cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses?
• How do Max’s behavior and social emotional strengths and challenges affect his academic achievement?
• Is Max eligible for, and does he need, Special Education services to make progress in the general education curriculum?

Evaluation Procedures: The following evaluation procedures and assessment tools were used to gather information to answer the evaluation questions listed above.

Review of Records:
Cumulative School Records	DATE
Open Court Assessment Data	DATE
Classroom Work Samples	DATE
Interviews:
Max Wilson, Student	DATE
Ms. Wilson, Mother	DATE
Mr. Lewis, 5th-Grade Teacher	DATE
Ms. Intervention, Resource Specialist Program Teacher	DATE
Observations:
Small-Group Guided Reading	DATE
Whole-Class Direct Math Instruction	DATE
Standardized Assessments:
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)	DATE
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3), Teacher Rating Scale (TRS)	DATE

Evaluation Questions and Answers: Throughout the assessment, Max was cooperative and willing to participate. Max appeared very comfortable throughout all of the testing and interview meetings. He put forth effort in all tasks and showed persistence even as tasks became more difficult. His levels of attention and concentration were all appropriate for his age. It is felt that the results of this evaluation provide a valid assessment of Max’s current abilities and educational needs. The evaluation questions are used below as headings to organize this report. After each question, the answer is given in bold italics. The information used to come to these conclusions is presented below the answer.

How do previous schooling, environmental factors, and health issues impact Max’s current academic achievement?

Max has a significant history of school changes and poor attendance. Due to this, it is clear that Max has received inconsistent instruction. Literacy interventions were implemented and modified over a 3-month period to evaluate Max’s response to the intensive instruction in reading and written language. Max also has a history of demonstrating anxious behaviors related to home issues. He has received mental health services, and since his family life has stabilized his anxiety symptoms have significantly decreased. Max is in overall good health and his current school attendance is good.

Max is 12 years old and currently enrolled in fifth grade at Ideal Elementary School. Max has a history of multiple school and district changes and his academic records are incomplete. Based on a review of available school records, Max attended Kindergarten through the second trimester of second grade at Super Elementary School in Quality Unified School District. Max had poor attendance in Kindergarten and his initial year in first grade. He was retained in first grade, though his attendance remained poor. Max was provided interventions at Super Elementary, including small-group instruction, summer school, and at-risk Resource Specialist Program (RSP) services. Information regarding Max’s response to these interventions was not in his school records. Assessing Max for Special Education services was mentioned in Student Success Team (SST) notes, though according to his mother an evaluation was not conducted.

Max transferred to Major Elementary within Another Unified School District to complete second grade. He was involved in a summer reading clinic and then attended third grade. An SST meeting was held to discuss Max’s progress, and according to his mother an assessment for Special Education services was conducted. Ms. Wilson stated that Max was found to have “perceptual problems” but that he did not qualify for Special Education services. The report was not available to review for this evaluation.

Within the SST records, it also stated that there were concerns with issues of Tourette’s and obsessive compulsive disorder. Ms. Wilson stated that Max has received mental health services for the past two years due to family issues of separation, spousal abuse, and homelessness. She stated that he used to demonstrate significant signs of anxiety, though was never diagnosed with the above disorders and it is unclear why they are mentioned in his school files. Now that Max’s home life has stabilized, his mother reports that his anxiety issues have been minimized.

Max began attending school within the Current Unified School District (CUSD) in March of DATE. He enrolled as a fourth-grader at Hope School, a school exclusively for students who are homeless. In September of DATE, Max transferred to Ideal Elementary School to begin fifth grade. Since enrolling at Ideal, Max has had excellent attendance.

As part of this evaluation, a health assessment was completed on DATE. According to the nurse’s report, Max’s vision is 20/20 in both eyes. He passed the hearing screening at 25 decibels. Max is in the 60th percentile for his height and the 97th percentile for his weight. His immunizations are all current. He met all early developmental milestones within normal limits and has had no major illnesses or injuries. He is currently in good health.

What are Max’s current academic skills in the areas of reading, written language, and math?

Max’s current academic achievement was assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, and curriculum-based assessments. Although Max’s academic skills in all areas have grown this school year, he continues to perform significantly below grade-level standards in reading and written language. Max’s weakly developed phonics skills negatively impact his reading decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, and spelling.

Reading: Max’s reading skills have improved since enrolling at Ideal Elementary. According to Mr. Lewis, Max has good oral comprehension of the Open Court stories when they are read aloud in class. He struggles with reading fluency and decoding. Mr. Lewis reported that Max’s reading fluency is affected by his need to stop and decode words. When decoding multi-syllable words, Max often gets the first syllable and then guesses at the rest. Max’s literal comprehension skills are strong, though he has difficulty with inferences when he cannot fluently read the text. He needs to be reminded to use reading comprehension strategies to support his understanding.

Max has recently passed the CUSD Mid-Third-Grade Reading Benchmark. Reading benchmarks are a CUSD-constructed measure of students’ decoding and comprehension mastery. Students are given a benchmark assessment when they have demonstrated the skills to successfully pass the test at a given level. Max has passed four benchmarks since enrolling at Ideal, including the End of Second Grade and the Middle of Third-Grade Fiction and Nonfiction benchmarks.

In October, Max’s average reading fluency was assessed at 39 words correct per minute. The goal level for a fifth-grader would be 90–120 words per minute. As part of the general education language arts program, Max worked with his teacher in small groups three times per week for 20 minutes on increasing fluency skills, decoding skills, and comprehension strategies. In November, Max’s fluency was retested at 42 words per minute. Due to limited progress, a more intensive intervention was implemented. Max began working with the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) teacher two times per week in a small group for 30 minutes. Text rereading and sight-word memorization strategies were used to increase Max’s reading fluency. A goal was set for Max to increase his fluency by 1.5 words per week. After 12 weeks, Max’s fluency had increased to 51 words per minute. At that time, Max’s intervention was increased to three times a week with the RSP teacher. Max’s fluency 12 weeks after the increased level of intervention was 68.5 words read correctly per minute. With this level of intensive intervention Max was able to increase his fluency by 17.5 words in a 12-week period. He was able to meet his goal of increasing his reading fluency by 1.5 words per week, though he required a consistent and intensive level of support to be successful.

Written Language: Mr. Lewis reports that Max has good ideas, though he tends to write his thoughts into one paragraph. He uses many incomplete sentences and needs support editing for beginning capitalization and ending punctuation. When unsure of correct spelling, Max attempts to use phonetic rules though his spelling of sounds demonstrates weak phonetic knowledge. For example, in a writing sample Max spelled roller skating as “rodsating,” friend as “frenid,” and weekend as “wacand.”

Max scored an average of 1 on a 4-point rubric on the first two Open Court Unit writing assessments. A score of 3 demonstrates proficient skills. In January, Mr. Lewis began working with Max in a small group two times per week on editing for spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. Max has increased his average Open Court writing assessment score on Units 4, 5, and 6 to a 1.8 on the 4-point rubric.

Math: Math is Max’s academic strength. He has made significant progress this school year. Max entered fifth grade with inconsistent multiplication skills. He is currently advanced proficient on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts tests. He is able to consistently score at a 97% level or better within 5 minutes on these tests. Max’s performance on the first and second trimester math assessment was in the proficient range. He consistently meets grade-level standards in computing problems and accessing and solving word problems.

How do Max’s cognitive processing strengths or weaknesses impact his academic achievement?

Max’s cognitive abilities were assessed through observations, teacher interviews, parent interviews, and standardized assessment. His overall general cognitive ability is estimated to be in the average range. Based on standardized assessments, classroom observations, and teachers’ reports, Max demonstrates a significant weakness in the area of phonological awareness. Max’s weaknesses in phonological processing impact his overall literacy skills.

Max demonstrates many behaviors and skills consistent with solidly average cognitive ability. Max is proficient with grade-level math computation and applied problems. Max demonstrates leadership qualities in nonacademic areas and has well-developed social skills with peers and adults. He resolves conflict thoughtfully and logically. Max is able to engage in age-level conversations with peers and adults. He gives appropriate and sequential explanations and is able to describe nonacademic interests and experiences with detail. He shows creativity in stories told and questions asked. Max has strong listening comprehension skills. He remembers information and facts, from stories read to the class, as well as movies and television programs he has watched at home. Max also demonstrates a clever sense of humor. He understands and uses jokes, riddles, and humor that many of his peers do not yet completely grasp.

Max’s phonological awareness was assessed because of the weak phonetic skills he demonstrates in the classroom. The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP) is a standardized measure designed to assess phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming. These three types of phonological processing are important skills for learning how to read and write.

The Phonological Awareness Composite Score is a measure of an individual’s phonological awareness and understanding of the sounds in oral language. Good phonological awareness is associated with good decoding and reading skills. Max’s performance on this measure was in the significantly below-average range. The Phonological Memory Composite is a measure of an individual’s ability to work with phonological information. The Rapid Naming Composite Score is a measure of retrieval speed of phonological information from long-term or permanent memory. Max’s performance on both of these measures was solidly within the average range. There is a significant discrepancy between Max’s performance on the Phonological Awareness Composite and his performances on the Phonological Memory and Rapid Naming Composites, suggesting that Phonological Awareness is a significant area of weakness. Max’s weakness in phonological awareness is also evident in his classwork. Max demonstrates slow fluency when reading due to his difficulty decoding unfamiliar words. He also has difficulty utilizing phonetic skills when encoding, or spelling unknown words.

How do Max’s behavior and social-emotional strengths and challenges affect his academic achievement?

Max is a responsible and motivated student, which positively impacts his academic achievement. He has worked hard this school year and made significant academic growth.

During interviews, Ms. Wilson reported a history of significant anxiety for Max. Because of this history, an evaluation of Max’s current emotional status was conducted. The Behavior Assessment System for Children–3 (BASC-3), a multidimensional system used to evaluate the behavior and self-perceptions of children and young adults aged 2 through 25 years, was used to aide in assessing Max’s behavior and emotional status at school. Max’s teacher completed the Teacher Rating Scale. Several attempts were made, though Max’s mother did not return the Parent Rating Scale. However, Ms. Wilson did provide information about Max’s behavior and social and emotional development through interviews.

The Teacher Rating Scale is a comprehensive measure of a child’s adaptive and problem behaviors in a school setting. BASC-3 scores within the clinically significant range suggest a student has many symptoms or problem behaviors and is having significant difficulties in everyday life. Scores in the at-risk range may identify a potential problem. Scores in the typical range suggest that Max’s behavior is similar to his peers and that he is functioning normally in the school environment. According to Mr. Lewis’s ratings of Max’s behavior, all scores fell in normal limits, suggesting he observes no emotional issues or behaviors in class that negatively impact Max’s achievement. Areas in which he noted that Max had well-developed skills were Adaptability, Social Skills, Leadership, Study Skills, and Functional Communication.

During interviews, Mr. Lewis has also stated that Max is a responsible student. He arrives at school on time and ready to learn. Max is a hard worker and completes class and homework assignments. He begins and completes work in a timely manner and exhibits motivation to learn. Max is very respectful to peers and adults and is well liked by all. He follows school and classroom rules, though he can be talkative due to his social nature.

Is Max eligible for, and does he need, Special Education services to make progress in the general education curriculum?

Max is eligible for services as a student demonstrating a specific learning disability (SLD). He has been provided intensive reading interventions, which he continues to need to make continued academic growth toward grade-level standards. Max also demonstrates significant weaknesses in phonological awareness. He needs Special Education services to make progress toward grade-level curriculum.

Max is a 12-year-old boy currently enrolled in the fifth grade at Ideal Elementary School. This assessment was completed to evaluate Max’s current eligibility and need for further Special Education services. Based on interviews, observations, and testing, Max demonstrates overall cognitive ability within the average range. Max’s academic achievement in basic reading skills and written language is significantly below grade-level standards. He also demonstrates significant weaknesses in phonological awareness. With an intensive level of intervention in the areas of reading fluency and writing, Max has demonstrated academic growth, though the level of support needed cannot be provided in the general education classroom. He is eligible for Special Education services as a student demonstrating a specific learning disability (SLD), which negatively impacts his academic achievement. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will convene to review these assessment results. Decisions regarding both eligibility and services will be made by the IEP team.

The following recommendations should be reviewed by the IEP team:

• Max has successfully transitioned to his new school this year. He will transfer to a middle school for sixth grade this fall. To support a smooth transition and continued academic and social success, the counselor will work with Max’s mother on choosing an appropriate middle school. The counselor will also contact Max’s middle school counselor to share successful supports for Max.
• Max has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and he is well liked by other students. Encouraging Max to join clubs and/or sports teams in middle school will help to continue his success with peer relationships.
• Max has weak phonetic skills. Based on the reading assessment he needs continued instruction and practice with decoding irregular vowels and diphthongs.
• Max can currently read and spell the first 200 sight-words in the Frye sight-word list. The Frye list contains the most common words in print. Continued practice with the next 200 words will improve his fluency and accuracy in both reading and writing.

Respectfully Submitted,

School Psychologist

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Example 3: High School Student, Reevaluation Assessing for an Emotional Disturbance

This report is written at an 11.0 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 12% passive sentences.

Name: Darion Brady

Chronological Age: 15-3

 

Reason for Referral and Assessment Questions:

This is Darion’s second psychoeducational evaluation. He was last evaluated in February of DATE. The focus of that evaluation was on whether Darion qualified for special education services as a student with an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a specific learning disability. The evaluation concluded that Darion did not meet the criteria for either ADHD or a learning disability. Darion failed three classes last year and is currently failing two more classes. He continues to struggle to complete work and attend school regularly. His parents also report five suicide attempts since March of DATE and both his parents and school personnel are concerned about his ability to cope with the demands of a comprehensive high school.

The current assessment is being conducted to answer the following questions:

1. What are Darion’s present levels of academic, cognitive, social, and emotional development?
2. Does Darion have an emotional disturbance as defined by federal and state regulations?
3. What supports are necessary to help Darion make adequate progress toward state and district academic standards? Does he need special education services in order to meet these expectations?

Assessment Procedures:

1. Review of school records, including a Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Report written in February of DATE.
2. Phone interview with Darion’s psychotherapist, Dr. Busse, on 1/25/DATE.
3. Darion was interviewed on 1/12/DATE. He also completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition, Self-Report of Personality on the same date. He was interviewed again on 2/15/DATE.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Brady were interviewed on 1/17/DATE. They also completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children III Parent Rating Scales on 2/8/DATE.
5. Darion’s Language Arts and World History teachers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children III Teacher Rating Scales on 1/12 and 1/17/DATE.

Background Information and Record Review:

Darion’s background information was gathered from the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Report written in February of DATE, a Structured Developmental History completed by Mrs. Brady, and an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Brady on 1/17/DATE.

Darion lives at home with his adoptive parents and his 14-year-old adopted sister. Mrs. Brady is an elementary school teacher and Mr. Brady works as a produce manager for Big Box Grocery Stores.

Darion was adopted at birth. According to Mrs. Brady, he and his biological mother were healthy at his birth. Mrs. Brady does not recall Darion’s early developmental milestones but does not remember having any concerns about his development, including eating, sleeping, learning to walk, or learning to talk. Darion’s vision and hearing are normal and he is currently in good physical health.

Mr. and Mrs. Brady describe Darion as “normal” until seventh grade. In seventh and eighth grades, they viewed him as “happy” but he began to have difficulty completing schoolwork. In the summer after eighth grade, he began to see a private psychotherapist to help the family “set limits.” Mr. and Mrs. Brady report that this therapist thought that Darion had a “borderline personality disorder.”

In ninth grade, Darion began to report that he did not want to go to school because of being bullied. Darion and his parents reported these incidents to the school counselor, but she was unable to identify the perpetrators or gather sufficient information from Darion to intervene.

Darion’s parents referred him to the school for an evaluation toward the end of his first semester in ninth grade because of their concerns he might have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a specific learning disability. This evaluation concluded that Darion had average cognitive and academic skills and did not have ADHD or a learning disability. Aside from attention, this evaluation did not focus on Darion’s social and emotional functioning.

In March of his ninth-grade year, Darion attempted to strangle himself by wrapping a towel around his neck. He was hospitalized for three days at College Hospital, a local psychiatric facility. Following this, Darion began to see another psychotherapist, Dr. Busse. In the fall of his 11th-grade year, Darion made three more suicide attempts over the course of about two months. These attempts included taking multiple doses of the medication Abilify and cutting his arm. Each time, he was taken to the emergency room and released. Most recently, Darion made a fifth suicide attempt following an argument with his mother about homework. He was hospitalized for three days at State University Medical Center. According to his parents, Darion has been referred to a day-treatment program at State University. As of the time of this report, Darion had not yet started attending the program.

Currently, Darion sees Dr. Busse weekly. During a phone interview on 1/25/DATE, Dr. Busse described Darion as someone who becomes “stuck” in negative perceptions. He said that Darion is struggling with the issue of his adoption and feels disconnected from his adoptive parents. Dr. Busse also stated that although borderline personality disorder is a possible diagnosis, he believes that it is more likely that Darion has a mood disorder such as major depression or dysthymic disorder.

Darion also sees a psychiatrist, Dr. Le, who manages his medications. When this evaluation began, Darion was taking Abilify and Welbutrin. Abilify is used to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions, including psychosis, the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder, and depression when the symptoms are not controlled by an antidepressant medication alone. Welbutrin is an antidepressant. At the time of his second interview and following another suicide attempt and hospitalization, Darion stopped taking Abilify and Welbutrin and began taking Zoloft. Zoloft is in a class of antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Darion transferred from Local High School to Wiley High School at the end of January DATE. During his first semester at Local High School, he had eight excused absences. He has missed seven days since enrolling at Wiley High School on 1/30/DATE. His parents report that he often complains of not feeling well and has sometimes refused to go to school.

 

Assessment Results:

What are Darion’s present levels of academic, cognitive, social, and emotional development?

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Although Darion has average cognitive ability and academic skills, he failed three classes last year and is failing two classes this semester. He has completed 50 of 180 credits required for high school graduation with a 2.0 GPA.

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In January of DATE, Darion had completed 50 of the 180 credits needed for high school graduation. His high school grade point average was 2.0 and he failed three classes his ninth grade year, which leaves him 15 credits behind what would normally be expected after completing ninth grade. Darion has not yet taken the High School Exit Exam.

At the end of the second quarter of the fall semester, Darion had A’s in Vocal Ensemble and Athletics. He had C’s in World History and Language Arts and F’s in Algebra and Biology. Both low test scores and missing or incomplete assignments are noted in the teacher comments on his report card for the classes he is failing. In Vocal Ensemble, the teacher noted he was a “pleasure to have in class.”

In February of DATE, Darion was given both the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) and the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ IV COG). On the WJ IV COG, Darion’s general intellectual ability was average (GIA standard score range of 94 to 112). He had significant personal strengths in auditory processing and short-term memory, including working memory. Academically, Darion’s performance on the WJ IV ACH in reading, written language, and math were all in the average range.

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Darion has tried to commit suicide five times in the last year. He has friends and participates in several extracurricular activities but views himself as having many more symptoms of depression than is typical for adolescents his age.

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When Darion was interviewed on 1/12/DATE, he was cooperative, open, and answered questions willingly. Although he was cooperative, Darion’s affect seemed subdued and he expressed a limited range of emotions.

Darion said he enjoyed soccer and singing in the school vocal ensemble. He also enjoys surfing, snowboarding, taking karate lessons, and riding his scooter competitively. He reported that he has three friends at school and hangs out with four or five friends on the weekend. Although Darion has friends, he complained that he feels stressed about being bullied at school. When asked to describe the bullying, Darion said that people at school make fun of him or make mean comments when he walks by.

Darion described four incidents where he attempted to take his own life that had occurred up to the time of this first interview. These included cutting his arm, trying to strangle himself, taking pills, and trying to hang himself. When asked what led to these attempts, Darion said he did not like his life and was tired of being bullied and not getting along with his parents.

Darion said he felt sad about 70% of the time and anxious about 40% of the time. He also has problems sleeping because his mind is racing. When asked to rate how things were going in his life on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = low and 10 = high) Darion said things were a 5 or 6, which was a little better than a month ago when he would have given himself a 4. He said that he was getting along better with his friends and his parents and had recently been “sponsored” for riding his scooter. As noted above, Darion was taking two medications, Abilify, and one other medication he could not remember. He did not think the Abilify helped but thought the second medication might be helping a little.

Following this interview, Darion completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition, Self-Report of Personality (BASC-3 SRP). The BASC-3 SRP asks students to respond to a series of questions and statements as “true” or “false” on a four-point scale ranging from “never” to “almost always.” The Clinical scales on the BASC-3 SRP provide an assessment of self-perceived social and emotional problems while the Adaptive scales evaluate positive coping and social skills.

Darion’s responses to the BASC-3 SRP suggest that he sees himself as having typical interpersonal relations and a feeling of self-reliance. For example, he responded “almost always” to questions like “I am dependable,” “My friends come to me for help,” and “I am liked by others.”

His responses also suggest he views himself as having many more symptoms of depression than other adolescents (t-score of 82) have. Darion responded “true” or “almost always” to 9 of the 12 questions on the BASC-3 SRP depression scale. For example, he said he “almost always” felt depressed and that life was getting worse and worse. He responded “true” to statements like “Nothing is fun anymore” and “I just don’t care anymore.”

Darion also has more feelings of inadequacy (t-score of 70) and lower self-esteem (t-score of 35) than is typical for students his age. Difficulties in these areas are often associated with depression and further suggest that depression is a significant concern.

Darion also views himself as having many more behaviors than other students that might be considered odd or unusual. On the BASC-3 SRP, the Atypicality scale (t-score of 99) measures these behaviors. Darion responded “almost always,” “often,” or “true” to 7 of the 9 questions on the Atypicality scale. This included responding, “almost always” to questions like “I hear voices in my head that no one else can hear,” “I hear things that others cannot hear,” and “Even when I am alone, I feel like someone is watching me.”

When interviewed on 2/15/DATE, Darion had recently been hospitalized again for a fifth suicide attempt following a transfer to Wiley High School from Local High. He said that things were going pretty well at school but not very well at home. Darion said he had not had any thoughts of suicide since being released about a week before the interview. When asked how often he feels sad or depressed, Darion said he now felt sad about 40% of the time (compared to 70% on 1/1). He also said he was not getting as mad as before and that his new medication (Zoloft) seemed to be helping.

Darion was also asked about his reports on the BASC-3 SRP of hearing voices. He said that he sometimes would hear his biological mother call his name at night. He reported that he heard voices before when he felt “scared and depressed” but no longer heard voices. Darion also said he still worried about losing his friends and being alone but no longer worried about “every little thing.” When asked to account for these changes, Darion said he had learned some new coping skills while in the hospital and that he was now taking an antidepressant, Zoloft, rather than Abilify. He said that the Zoloft seemed to help him “not get as mad.”

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Darion’s parents view him as having friends and average social skills but many more symptoms of depression than typical. They describe him as less motivated toward school and his extracurricular activities such as choir and soccer. Most of his five suicide attempts have followed arguments with his parents over mundane things such as homework or phone privileges.

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In an interview on 1/17/DATE, Mr. and Mrs. Brady said they believed that Darion was a “normal” student until seventh grade, when he began to have problems completing his schoolwork. In ninth grade he began to complain of being bullied at school and in March of ninth grade, he made the first of five suicide attempts. These attempts often followed arguments between Darion and his parents and attempts on their part to discipline him. For example, Darion’s first suicide attempt followed his father taking his phone away. The most recent attempt followed an argument with his mother about homework and his refusal to go to school.

Mr. and Mrs. Brady describe Darion as not liking crowds but also not liking to be alone. He interacts with friends on a regular basis and has a girlfriend who attends Wiley High School. Darion has also been involved in several activities, including soccer, surfing, choir, and riding his scooter. They note that in the last few months he has withdrawn from soccer and choir and says he does not want to go to school.

Darion’s parents also completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children–3 Parent Rating Scales (BASC-3 PRS). The BASC-3 PRS is designed to assess parents’ perceptions of their children’s pro-social or adaptive skills, externalizing problems (hyperactivity, aggression, problems of conduct), and internalizing problems (anxiety, depression, somatization).

Both Mr. and Mrs. Brady view Darion as having average social skills, functional communication, and adaptability (adjusting to changes in routine, etc.), but they also view him as having many more symptoms of depression than his peers do (t-scores of 85 and 110). Both responded “often” or “almost always” to questions such as “is negative about things,” “says, ‘I hate myself,’” and “says, ‘I want to die’ or ‘I wish I were dead.’” Darion’s parents also view him as having more symptoms of anxiety than typical, although this appears to be a less severe problem than depression.

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Two of Darion’s teachers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children–3 Teacher Rating Scales. Neither sees him as having significant problems but at the same time both view him as having difficulty interacting positively with other students.

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Two of Darion’s teachers at Local High School completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children–3 Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-3 TRS). Like the BASC-3 SRP and BASC-3 PRS, the BASC-3 TRS assesses perceptions of both problem behaviors and adaptive skills. Neither Darion’s Science teacher nor his Economics teacher view him as having significant problems with acting out, depression, or anxiety, but both view him as having fewer social skills than typical. Specifically, they appear to see him as having difficulty interacting positively with others. For example, both teachers state that Darion “never” “offers to help other adolescents,” “compliments others,” or “congratulates others when good things happen to them.”

Does Darion have an emotional disturbance as defined by federal and state regulations?

According to state and federal regulations, to meet Special Education eligibility as a student with an emotional disturbance, a student must have one of the following conditions:

1. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
2. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
3. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
4. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

If present, these conditions must (a) have existed for a long time, (b) be present to a marked degree, and (c) have a significant negative impact on educational performance.

Darion appears to meet these criteria. Of these conditions, there is strong evidence that Darion has “a general pervasive mood of unhappiness.” Darion has made five suicide attempts in the last year and been hospitalized twice. In addition, he is currently being treated with antidepressant medication. His responses to the BASC-3 SRP suggest that he has many more symptoms of depression than are typical. Although he views himself as improved over the course of the evaluation, Darion still says he is sad 40% of the time. Darion’s parents also view him as having many symptoms of depression. His suicide attempts have followed arguments with his parents over ordinary issues such as completing homework and phone privileges. This suggests that Darion is struggling to adequately regulate his emotions and cope appropriately.

Darion’s symptoms of depression, including attempts at suicide, have been present for almost a year. During that time, he has failed three classes and is currently failing two more. If he fails two of his current classes, Darion will be 25 credits behind what is expected of an 11th-grade student. This is in spite of average cognitive abilities and academic skills.

What supports are necessary to help Darion make adequate progress toward state and district academic standards? Does he need special education services in order to meet these expectations?

At this point, it appears that Darion will need the monitoring and support provided by a special education program. At the same time, given his cognitive and academic strengths, every effort should be made to keep him in general education classes where he can benefit from the general education curriculum. The IEP team should consider goals in the areas of attendance, work completion, and emotional self-regulation. In order to accomplish goals in these areas, the IEP team might consider assigning Darion a special education case carrier who can monitor his progress in his general education classes and respond quickly to absences. The case carrier can also be a liaison between school and Darion’s treatment providers, such as Dr. Busse.

Darion also appears to have significant signs of depression. He should be strongly encouraged to continue his current treatment, including participation in the recommended State University day-treatment program. In addition, the school staff should support Darion’s involvement in extracurricular activities such as choir and athletics.

School-based individual or group counseling for Darion can also help him learn self-regulatory skills such as identifying and monitoring his emotions. For example, Darion could keep a mood diary that could be reviewed regularly with his case carrier or counselor (at first this might be done daily but could be reduced to weekly as Darion develops greater mindfulness and control of his emotions). Darion’s case carrier, perhaps with the assistance of the School Counselor or School Psychologist, should also develop a menu of appropriate ways Darion can cope if he feels depressed or distressed. Given the link between Darion’s suicide attempts and his reports of being bullied, the school counselor or school administrator should closely investigate and, if needed, intervene in any incidents of Darion being bullied.

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Example 4: Elementary Student, Initial Evaluation Assessing for Learning Disability and Other Health Impairment

This report is written at an 11.7 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 17% passive sentences.

Student: April Campbell	School: Smith Primary Academy
Gender: Female	Primary Language: English
Age: 6.0	Current Placement: General Education
Grade: K

Reason for Referral: April is a Kindergarten student enrolled in Current Unified School District (CUSD) at Smith Primary Academy. April was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF1), a neurocutaneous genetic syndrome, at the age of 5 months. The severity of NF1 varies greatly and can present with different physical signs and complications for each person. Currently, April’s medical needs are monitored through a neurologist and orthopedist at Children’s Hospital. She wears a brace to support and protect her left leg and has some physical limitations, including no jumping or pounding activities to protect her leg from physical impact.

For the 20XX school year, April attended a CUSD pre-Kindergarten program at Brookside Elementary School. She made slow academic progress and had difficulty retaining much of the academic information she learned. April has been receiving 90 minutes of weekly literacy intervention since the beginning of October. April’s parents and current Kindergarten teacher were concerned with possible learning delays, which are often associated with NF1. April’s mother, Mrs. Campbell, requested a psychoeducational evaluation be conducted to evaluate April’s eligibility and need for Special Education services. Due to April’s medical history and current concerns with learning, the eligibilities of Specific Learning Disability and Other Health Impairment will be evaluated. This psychoeducational evaluation will answer the following questions:

• How does April’s developmental, medical, and educational history affect her current academic achievement?
• What are April’s current academic skills in the areas of reading, written language, and math?
• What are April’s cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses?
• Does April qualify for and need Special Education services to make progress toward grade-level academic standards?

Assessment Procedures:

Review of Records:
Cumulative School Records	DATE
Classroom Work Samples	DATE
CUSD Criterion-Based Assessments	DATE
Interviews:
Teacher, Rose Patience	DATE
Student, April Campbell	DATE
Mother, Lisa Campbell	DATE
Observations:
Kindergarten Classroom: Whole-Group Language Arts Instruction	DATE
Kindergarten Classroom: Recess	DATE
Standardized Assessments:
Differential Ability Scales–2	DATE

Assessment Questions and Results: Throughout the direct assessment, April was cooperative and willing to participate. She easily engaged in conversation and readily smiled when provided positive feedback. At times, April would become off-task by asking when she could return to her classroom. However, she was easily redirected to task through verbal prompts and a promise that she would not miss her recess with her friends. The assessment questions addressed within this report are listed as headings below. After each question, the answer is provided in bold italics. The information and data used to answer the questions are also provided in the narrative following each question. Specific scores on standardized assessments are included on the last page of the report.

How does April’s developmental, medical, and educational history affect her current academic achievement?

April is an active and engaged Kindergartener in Mrs. Patience’s classroom. She has neurofibromatosis (NF1), a genetic neurological syndrome. Her mother noted that she currently has mild symptoms, which are monitored by a neurologist and orthopedist. April is currently in good health. April completed a pre-Kindergarten program last school year and has transitioned to Kindergarten at Smith Primary Academy. She is making academic progress, though her teacher has some concerns with her retention.

April’s background history was gathered through a review of school records and an interview with her mother, Lisa Campbell. According to Mrs. Campbell, her pregnancy with April was healthy with no complications. April was born full term. Both Mrs. Campbell and April were healthy and released from the hospital after one day. April began seeing her pediatrician at two weeks of age for well-baby examinations. The family noted that April’s right leg was developing at an odd angle and that she had multiple café-au-lait spots (small coffee-colored patches). According to April’s mother, their pediatrician had similar concerns and April’s development was closely monitored.

April met all early physical, social, and language developmental milestones. She was visually tracking, smiling, babbling, and beginning to sit up at 4 months. April was first seen by a neurologist and geneticist at the age of 5 months due to concerns with an increase in the number of café-au-lait spots. After further testing, April was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF1). According to Mrs. Campbell, features of NF1 may include café-au-lait spots, neurofibromas (tumors on, under, or hanging off the skin), Lisch nodules (tiny, noncancerous tumors on the iris), freckling in the folds of the skin, abnormalities of the skeleton, such as the thinning or overgrowth of the bones in the arms or lower leg, and curvature of the spine (scoliosis). The severity of NF1 varies greatly and can present with different physical signs and complications for each person. Treatment for NF1 often includes removal of the neurofibromas for cosmetic purposes, treating the complications, and getting intervention for children with learning disabilities since approximately 50% of students with NF demonstrate learning disabilities. Children are usually followed by appropriate medical specialists to monitor and treat complications. April initially presented with multiple café-au-lait spots, a neurofibroma on her chin, Lisch nodules, freckling in the folds of her skin, and thinning in the bones in the right lower leg. She is currently followed by Dr. Stellar, a neurologist, and Dr. Femur, an orthopedic surgeon, at Children’s Hospital.

Due to significant bone thinning, April broke her right leg at 10 months of age. It was casted until her initial surgery in December of DATE. In February of DATE, a second surgery was conducted and April began wearing a protective brace. April’s physical and gross motor development has been typical, despite breaks and surgeries on her leg. In March of DATE, a neurofibroma was removed from April’s chin. A second removal surgery was conducted in February of DATE. Mrs. Campbell noted that the neurofibromas cannot be permanently removed and multiple surgeries may be needed.

At the age of 12 months, April received 11 months of early intervention physical and occupational therapy services through Local Regional Center. Mrs. Campbell reported that they helped April learn to safely walk and play with her brace. At the age of 3, April participated in a play-based preschool program for 6 hours a week. She enrolled in a pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) program at Bookside Elementary School in September of DATE. April’s mother noted that she made slow academic progress over the school year. According to her report card, April completed the school year mastering some beginning phonemic awareness skills such as rhyming and identifying beginning and ending word sounds. April was able to identify 10 uppercase- and 8 lowercase-letter names, 8-letter sounds, and 9 high-frequency sight-words. April passed the CUSD Beginning of Kindergarten reading benchmark, a measure of basic book concepts and comprehension of a picture story. She was considered an emergent writer and was meeting some pre-K math expectations.

April enrolled at Smith Primary Academy in September of DATE. She is in Mrs. Patience’s Kindergarten classroom. On September, DATE, a Student Success Team (SST) meeting was held to discuss April’s medical and safety needs and her transition to Kindergarten. April’s mother was very concerned with April’s retention of academic skills and how her NF1 symptoms might impact April’s academic achievement and performance. Due to concerns with her retention of academic skills, a literacy intervention was put into place while an evaluation for Special Education services was conducted. April has received direct services from the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) three times per week for 30 minutes. She is working on letter names, letter sounds, and writing.

April currently wears a patella tendon brace to support and protect her leg and has some limitations, including no jumping or pounding activities to protect her leg from physical impact. A safety plan is in place and April, school administration, and playground staff have been made aware of her limitations. At school and home, April is encouraged to engage in alternative physical activity for bone growth. The nurse conducted an initial health screening on 10-19-DATE. April’s vision was 20/30 in each eye and 20/20 when using both eyes. She passed the hearing screening at 25 dB. Besides issues related to NF1, April has been a healthy child and her immunizations are current.

What are April’s current academic skills in the areas of reading, written language, and math?

April’s current academic achievement was assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, classroom work samples, and criterion-based assessments. April had difficulty retaining many of the academic skills presented in her pre-Kindergarten classroom, though since September she has made steady progress in mastering beginning Kindergarten reading, writing, and math skills. April’s work habits are developing. She sometimes needs adult encouragement to stay engaged in instruction, try new things, and put forth her best effort.

Language Arts: CUSD uses reading benchmarks to assess students’ reading mastery. Reading benchmarks are given when the teacher believes the student has demonstrated the literacy skills to pass the reading assessment at a specific level. April passed the Beginning Kindergarten reading benchmark, a measure of basic book concepts and comprehension of a picture story during her year in pre-Kindergarten (pre-K). April completed her pre-K program with some letter-name and -sound knowledge, though she did not retain this information over the summer break. April’s progress was slow in the beginning of the year, but Mrs. Patience recently noted that her rate of learning and retention has increased and that she is happy with April’s progress. The graph below shows April’s pre-reading skills progress since the end of pre-K.

	June DATE (pre-Kindergarten)	September DATE (Kindergarten)	October DATE (Kindergarten)
Uppercase Letter Names	10/26	6/26	19/26
Lowercase Letter Names	8/28	4/28	14/28
Letter Sounds	8/26	0/26	24/26
Sight-Words	7/10	0/10	7/10

At the end of October, April knew 33/54 letter names and 24/26 letter sounds, which is consistent with many students in her classroom. Mrs. Patience noted that April was also growing in her writing. She began the year only drawing dog pictures and writing the word “DOG.” With encouragement from her teacher, she is expanding her writing through using her knowledge of letter sounds to spell unknown words. She is becoming more confident in her writing and beginning to stretch words out and use more sight-words. April is right-handed and uses a correct pencil grip. She braces the paper with her left hand when writing.

Math: Math is April’s strongest subject. She completed pre-K partially proficient in number sense and beginning math concepts. Mrs. Patience noted that April learns new math concepts easily and is able to complete grade-level work with accuracy. She can identify numbers to 30 and has scored in the advanced proficient range on the first two math assessments.

Classroom Adaptive Skills: April’s work habits in the classroom are improving. April needs support from adults to take academic risks. She will complete work that is given to her, though has needed encouragement from her teacher to expand her skills and try new things. April sometimes needs prompts from her teacher to refocus and do her best work during whole-group instruction and independent work. April can be fidgety in class, often playing with little pieces of paper she finds. She can also be very social and enjoys engaging in conversation with her classmates. She accepts teacher redirection and often gives her teacher a big, bright-eyed smile when she is prompted to get back to work.

April is an active participant in the classroom. She enjoys sharing her ideas and working with her classmates. Mrs. Patience noted that she is well liked by her peers and has made friends. April can be impulsive in the classroom and at recess, which can lead to rougher play than some of her classmates want to engage in. April reports that recess and lunchtime are her favorite school activities. During an observation of April during recess, she was actively running and playing a game of chase with other students. She had a big smile and laugh, and enjoyed being a leader in the game.

What are April’s cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses?

April’s cognitive abilities were assessed through observations, teacher interviews, parent interviews, and standardized assessment. April’s overall cognitive ability is estimated to be in the average range. During testing, April demonstrated relative strengths and weaknesses, though her overall cognitive processing abilities were all within an average range.

The Differential Ability Scales–2 (DAS-2) is a standardized nationally normed, individually administered assessment battery designed to evaluate cognitive processing in students 2 years, 6 months through 17 years, 11 months of age. April was given the DAS-2 Early Years Core Subtests and selected Diagnostic Subtests. The General Cognitive Ability (GCA) is a global ability estimate calculated using the results of the three DAS-2 Cluster scores (Verbal, Nonverbal Reasoning, and Spatial). The GCA is considered the score that is most representative of general intellectual ability; however, April’s performance on the three clusters was significantly different so it is more appropriate to interpret her performance within each of the specific cluster areas.

Cluster scores are estimates of overall functioning in broadly defined cognitive domains. The Verbal cluster is a measure of acquired or learned verbal concepts and knowledge. This cluster is comprised of the Verbal Comprehension and Naming Vocabulary subtests. April’s performance on the Verbal cluster was in the above-average range. April demonstrated well-developed language comprehension on the Verbal Comprehension subtest. She was able to follow multistep directions and match stories to pictures. Her ability to identify common objects in the Naming Vocabulary subtest was in the above-average range. She demonstrated a strong vocabulary, even when she was unable to identify the picture. For example, when asked for the word eruption, April stated, “the volcano is ready to blow with hot lava.”

The Nonverbal Reasoning Ability cluster is a measure of nonverbal mental processing, inductive reasoning, and visual processing. The Matrixes and Picture Similarities subtests are included in this cluster. April’s performance on the Non-Verbal Reasoning cluster was in the average range. April was able to visually separate patterns or puzzles into their components, draw conclusions, and solve them using her knowledge base. April did especially well on the Picture Similarities subtest where she was asked to match pictures with a common element or concept.

The Spatial Ability cluster is a measure of complex visual-spatial processing. Copying, a measure of visual perceptual matching and fine-motor coordination in copying line drawings, and Pattern Construction, a measure of spatial visualization and orientation in copying block patterns, are the subtests included in this cluster. Both of these subtests involve motor planning, as the student must recreate designs either through drawing or using blocks. April’s performance on this cluster was in the below-average range, though her performances on the two subtests that comprise this cluster were significantly different. Specifically, April’s performance on the Pattern Construction subtest was in the average range. She worked slowly, though accurately, and at one point during this timed test, looked up, smiled, and asked, “Why are we doing this?” April’s performance on the Copying subtest was in the below-average range, though this needs to be interpreted with caution. April was very concerned about missing her recess and knew this was her last task before we were finished. She seemed to rush through many of the drawings, which affected her score. When asked to slow down and recopy the drawings, April’s ability greatly improved. She used proper pencil grip and braced the paper when drawing. She knew when she made a mistake and asked to redo two of her drawings. In the classroom, April’s penmanship is best when she is given lined paper for boundaries and encouraged to do her best work. Her letter formation has continued to improve since the beginning of the school year. April’s lower performance on this subtest appears to be due to her rushed efforts, not a delay in fine-motor development or visual spatial matching.

Diagnostic subtests of the DAS-2 were used to further evaluate April’s cognitive processing skills. The Phonological Processing subtest of the Differential Ability Scales (DAS-2) is a measure of the knowledge of sound structure of the English language and the ability to manipulate sound. Phonological awareness helps children learn how letters and sounds go together in written language, which supports learning to read and write. April’s phonological processing skills were within the average range. She was able to consistently rhyme and blend sounds together. She is beginning to understand how to delete sounds, identify sounds within words, and segment words into sounds. Her skills on this assessment match what Mrs. Patience has seen in the classroom.

There are two Diagnostic Clusters within the DAS-2, including Working Memory and Processing Speed. The Processing Speed cluster is a measure of general cognitive processing speed and reflects a student’s ability to work with speed and accuracy. This cluster includes the Speed of Information Processing subtest, a measure of quickness in performing simple visual mental operations, and the Rapid Naming subtest, a measure of automaticity in integrating visual symbols with verbal naming. During both subtests, April worked accurately and at a steady pace. April’s performance in this cluster was in the average range.

The Working Memory cluster is a measure of working memory, including short-term auditory and visual memory. Working Memory is a process underlying many cognitive abilities. It is the ability to use effective strategies to transform information or problem solve with information that is being held in short-term memory. For example, listening to a verbally presented series of numbers and then repeating them backwards or decoding an unfamiliar word and keeping each syllable in memory until you are ready to blend the sounds together. The Working Memory cluster includes the Recall of Digits Backwards and Recall of Sequential Order subtests. April used a good problem-solving strategy of repeating the information to help her remember. April’s overall performance in the Working Memory cluster was in the average range.

Does April qualify for and need Special Education services to make progress toward grade-level academic standards?

April is currently receiving at-risk Resource Specialist Program (RSP) support. She is meeting many Kindergarten grade-level standards and does not currently demonstrate a learning disability. However, April meets Other Health Impairment (OHI) criteria. It is recommended that she be found eligible for Special Education services and continue her placement in a general education classroom with Resource Specialist Program (RSP) support.

April is a Kindergarten student enrolled in Current Unified School District at Smith Primary Academy. April was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF1), a neurocutaneous genetic syndrome, at the age of 5 months. The severity of NF1 varies greatly and can present with different physical signs and complications for each person. April’s mother has reported that her symptoms are currently mild and April’s medical needs are monitored through a neurologist and orthopedist at Children’s Hospital.

As many as 50% of students with NF1 demonstrate learning disabilities during their school years. Due to academic concerns of her parents and teacher, April was evaluated for possible learning disabilities. Based on the results of this evaluation, April is not currently demonstrating learning disabilities. Her cognitive processing abilities are all within the average range, though her verbal reasoning abilities are a relative strength. April initially made slow progress in mastering pre-reading and math skills during pre-Kindergarten and had difficulty retaining these over the summer. However, this school year she has received additional academic support through the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) and has made consistent and steady progress in learning and using beginning Kindergarten reading, written language, and math skills.

April has made strong academic progress and is meeting many Kindergarten standards. However, her NF1 symptoms and medical needs may change as she continues to develop, potentially affecting her academic achievement or educational performance. Therefore, it is recommended that April be found eligible for Special Education services under the eligibility criteria of Other Health Impaired (OHI). Students meet this eligibility if they have “limited strength, vitality or alertness, due to chronic or acute health problems which adversely affect a pupil’s educational performance.” April meets this eligibility because of her NF1 diagnosis and the continued medical monitoring she requires to stay healthy. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will convene to review these assessment results. Decisions regarding placement and services will be made by the IEP team.

Respectfully Submitted,

School Psychologist

 

Standardized Assessment Results

Two types of scores are presented below. Standard scores indicate where April’s performance was on the assessment in relation to the mean or average score. April’s performance is compared to students of the same age in the test’s norming group. Standard scores from approximately 85 to 115 are within the average range. Scores lower than 85 are below average and higher than 115 are above average. Students’ performance on tests can vary for many reasons; therefore, it may be inaccurate to describe a student’s performance with a single standard score. The confidence interval is a band or range of scores, which is a more appropriate description of a student’s performance. For these assessments a 95% confidence interval is presented, which can be interpreted as there being a 95% chance that April’s true score falls within this range.

Differential Ability Scales (DAS-2) Early Years

Cluster	Subtest	Standard Score	Confidence Interval	Descriptive Category
Verbal		113	103–120	Above Average
	Naming Vocabulary			Above Average
	Verbal Comprehension			Above Average
Nonverbal Reasoning		108	98–116	Average
	Matrices			Average
	Picture Similarities			Above Average
Spatial		84	80–90	Below Average
	Pattern Construction			Average
	Copying			Lowa
Working Memory		93	87–100	Average
	Recall of Sequential Order			Below Average
	Recall of Digits Backwards			Average
Processing Speed		92	84–101	Average
	Speed of Information Processing			Average
	Rapid Naming			Average
aThese scores were unable to be appropriately interpreted. Please see the narrative regarding this assessment to better understand April’s relative strengths and weaknesses.

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Example 5: Elementary Student, Initial Evaluation Assessing for Autism

This is a referral-based, question-driven report in a domain-based report structure. It is written at a 11.2 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 20% passive sentences.

Student: Jacob Wells	School: Good Elementary
Gender: Male	Primary Language: English
Age: 6.3	Current Placement: Speech and Language
Grade: K

Reason for Referral: Since beginning Kindergarten this September, Jacob has demonstrated expressive and receptive language delays, poor social skills, and behavioral issues at school. Jacob was referred for further evaluation by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team during his initial Speech and Language IEP meeting on November, DATE. During the SL evaluation, Jacob demonstrated behaviors consistent with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including poor eye contact, repetitive motor movements, and echolalia. The focus of this assessment is to determine his eligibility and need for further special education services. Specifically, this evaluation will answer the questions: What are Jacob’s current cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses? What are Jacob’s academic skills relative to grade-level language arts and math standards? How do Jacob’s social skills, behavior, and classroom adaptive skills impact his academic achievement? Do Jacob’s current Special Education eligibility and services meet his educational needs?

Assessment Procedures:

Review of Records:
Cumulative School Records	DATE
Classroom Work Samples	DATE
CUSD Behavioral Consultation Report	DATE
Interviews:
Jacob Wells, Student	DATE
Mrs. Wells, Mother	DATE
Mrs. Smith, Kindergarten Teacher	DATE
Observations:
Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children–3:
Student Observation System (SOS)	DATE
Whole-Group Language Arts	DATE
Small-Group Math	DATE
Standardized Assessments:
Differential Ability Scales–2 (DAS-2)	DATE
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale: Teacher and Parent	DATE

Background Information: Jacob’s background information was gathered through a review of his school records and interviews with both of his parents. Jacob is 6 years old and currently enrolled in Kindergarten at Good Elementary School. Jacob had limited school experience prior to enrolling in Kindergarten. According to Jacob’s parents he attended three preschools for short periods of time. He was not academically, socially, or behaviorally successful in his preschool experiences. Mr. and Mrs. Wells expressed frustration that further resources and/or referrals for assistance were not provided prior to asking Jacob to leave the schools.

Jacob has attended school within Ideal Unified School District (CUSD) since enrolling in Kindergarten. He was initially assessed and found eligible for Speech and Language (SL) services in November of DATE. According to the SL report, Jacob exhibited the need for speech and language services due to a communication disorder in the area of semantics. Jacob has been receiving small-group SL services two times per week since his evaluation.

A health assessment was conducted as part of Jacob’s initial Special Education evaluation. According to the school nurse’s report, dated DATE, Jacob’s vision was 20/30 when his right, left, and both eyes were tested. He passed the hearing screening and his immunizations are up to date. According to his mother, her pregnancy and birth with Jacob were normal. Jacob has received consistent medical care through his pediatrician. He did suffer a head injury and concussion at the age of 3. A CAT scan was completed, and no further treatment or concerns were noted. Overall, Jacob has been a healthy child.

According to Mrs. Wells, Jacob met developmental milestones within an age-appropriate range except for expressive and receptive language. According to his parents his first words occurred by 12 months of age, but Jacob did not put words together until 3½ years of age. They discussed their concerns with Jacob’s pediatrician; however, the Wells’ reported that the pediatrician was not concerned and told the family that “boys talk later than girls.” Upon enrollment in Kindergarten, Jacob continued to demonstrate language difficulties at home and school. He often spoke in one- or two-word phrases, answered questions with off-topic information, or repeated phrases over and over.

Earlier this year Jacob’s parents took him to Dr. Psych, a clinical psychologist, due to attention and behavior issues. Dr. Psych referred the family to Local Regional Center (LRC) for further assessment in the areas of attention and suspected autism. Jacob’s parents initiated an LRC referral, but were not satisfied with the agency’s responses. Due to the academic and language progress he has made, as well as the services provided through the school, they have decided not to proceed with a service evaluation through LRC.

Evaluation Results:

Throughout the direct assessment, Jacob was cooperative and willing to participate. Jacob easily separated from his classroom when we conducted one-on-one assessments. Jacob was given time to look around the room and play with testing materials before we started. He was assessed during two 20–30-minute blocks of time over two days. Directions were repeated and extra practice items were used for all of the standardized assessment subtests. Jacob was redirected to task through verbal and physical prompts and a positive reinforcement system was used to earn time playing a game of choice after each testing session. With verbal and physical prompts to focus on the specific tasks and the use of the reinforcement system, he put forth good effort during all of the activities.

Cognitive Abilities:

Jacob’s cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses were assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, and standardized measures. Based on these assessments, his overall cognitive ability is estimated to be within the broad average range.

According to his parents and classroom teacher, Jacob demonstrates an excellent memory for dramatic material. He has memorized lengthy dialogues from Disney films, as well as Star Trek episodes, and recites them with feeling. Although he often uses his recitation of the material inappropriately as a self-stimulating behavior or as an avoidance response to direct questions, his skills demonstrate a strong memory for information he hears. This school year Jacob has also demonstrated strong auditory memory skills through easily learning and remembering school songs.

During the assessment, Jacob appropriately engaged in imaginary play with a tea set, doll, and brush. When playing with the tea set, he used a British accent and formal language. For example, when asked if he would like more tea, he gave a serious nod and stated, “Of course, madam.”

The Differential Abilities Scale (DAS-2) was also used to further evaluate Jacob’s cognitive ability. The DAS-2 is a standardized nationally normed, individually administered assessment battery designed to evaluate cognitive processing in students 6 through 17 years, 11 months of age. Jacob was given selected subtests from the DAS-2 School Age Core Subtests. Cluster scores are estimates of overall functioning in broadly defined cognitive domains. Jacob’s performance on the DAS varied greatly. The Verbal Cluster is composed of the Verbal Comprehension and Naming Vocabulary. Jacob’s overall performance on this cluster was within the below-average range. Jacob was able to respond to single-step requests such as, “Show me Teddy’s eyes” and “Put the horse in the box.” He had more difficulty when simultaneous requests were given such as, “When I put down the tree, pick up the car.” In the Naming Vocabulary subtest, Jacob was asked to identify pictures. Once he got to unfamiliar pictures he used his imagination to make up a word to go with the picture, such as “rincon” for lock, “muna” for hourglass, and “pifer” for funnel. Jacob’s performance on the Verbal Cluster of the DAS is a reflection of his documented expressive language delays. Jacob worked best when minimal language processing was required. His performance on both the Pattern Construction subtest, from the Spatial cluster, and the Matrixes subtest, from the Non-Verbal cluster, were within the average range. The Matrixes subtest requires the student to select one out of four options that complete a puzzle, or matrix. On the Pattern Construction subtest, Jacob used multisided blocks to recreate single-dimension pictures. He enjoyed this activity though he worked slowly. The non-timed alternative scoring method was used when evaluating his performance. Jacob was very persistent with these subtests even when they became more difficult. His performance within these nonverbal areas is more indicative of his overall cognitive ability.

Academic Achievement:

Jacob’s current academic achievement was assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, work samples, and curriculum-based assessments.

Pre-academic/Academic Skills: Jacob entered Kindergarten with many basic skills. On his initial Kindergarten skills screening he was able to identify 11/12 colors and 4/6 basic shapes. Jacob recognized numbers 1–15 and was able to rote count from 1 to 29. He identified 47/54 letter names, but knew no letter sounds. He also identified 2/36 sight-words and inconsistently wrote his first name.

Language Arts: Jacob has made academic progress this school year. On his latest literacy assessment Jacob correctly identified all letter names and 25/26 letter sounds. Jacob has been observed during Open Court reading. He has difficulty staying focused and on-task during whole-group instruction and independent work, though he will actively participate when the class sings and does the hand motions for the letter-sound cards. Jacob now identifies 32/36 Kindergarten sight-words and 15/25 high-frequency sight-words. The table shows Jacob’s growth in these areas:

	Percent Correct
	September of DATE	March of DATE
Letter names	87	100
Letter sounds	0	96
K sight-words	5	88

Jacob passed the pre-Kindergarten reading benchmark, a measure of basic book concepts and comprehension of a picture story, on DATE. He correctly demonstrated 5/5 concepts about print and answered 4/5 comprehension questions. Jacob was given the mid-Kindergarten reading benchmark on DATE, though he did not pass. His decoding accuracy was 87% and he answered 3/5 comprehension questions correctly. Jacob’s decoding errors were contextual, as he used picture clues, not phonics, to read some of the words. For example, he read bus as “school bus” and slide as “playground.” In phonemic awareness testing, Jacob has demonstrated rhyming, blending, and segmenting skills.

Jacob has demonstrated the ability to encode sounds when he receives one-on-one guidance. Initially, when given writing assignments, Jacob would draw a picture then scribble or write letter and number strands to accompany his picture. He still engages in this when writing in whole-group activities. With adult assistance Jacob will draw a picture and dictate 1–2 sentences. With one-on-one prompting, he is able to segment his words into sounds and write many of the words he dictates to the teacher.

Math: Jacob recently received a score of 80% (proficient) on his second trimester math assessment measuring counting to 20, size, and volume. He also scored an 80% (proficient) on his most recent addition assessment. Jacob is grasping addition and subtraction concepts and writing basic number sentences to match picture clues. Jacob’s attention can negatively impact his one-to-one correspondence when counting. His best work is demonstrated in small groups where he can have redirection when needed.

Social and Behavioral Skills:

Jacob’s social skills and behavior were assessed through interviews, observations, and standardized rating scales. Both Mrs. Smith, the classroom teacher, and Jacob’s parents were asked to complete the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS). The GARS is a behavioral checklist created to help identify persons with autism spectrum disorders. Behaviors are sorted into subtests, which correspond to specific characteristics of autism spectrum disorders: Stereotyped Behaviors, Communication, and Social Interaction. A standard score is given that represents the probability that a child has autism. Based on Jacob’s parents’ ratings, a standard score of 115 was given. This can be interpreted as his parents perceiving the probability of autism to be above average. Jacob’s classroom teacher’s ratings produced a standard score of 109, which can be interpreted as the probability of autism being high average to above average. Both Jacob’s teacher’s and parents’ responses were significant in the areas of stereotyped behaviors and communication. They all believe that these are the areas where Jacob demonstrates the most unique behaviors.

Jacob demonstrates some stereotyped behaviors within the classroom and at home. Within the classroom Jacob will repeatedly spin in a circle or lay on the floor. At times he will rock back and forth when seated. Jacob often walks on his toes and moves erratically when going from place to place in the room. These behaviors have decreased over the year, though continue to occur at least once per day. Jacob continues to engage in vocalizations which often include repeating dialogue from his favorite shows or movies. His parents have noted a decrease in his vocalizations at home, though they still occur two to three times per hour.

Jacob rarely initiates or engages in conversation. He has recently begun to make a statement toward others, though he often leaves the interaction before he receives a response. Jacob will repeat words and phrases out of context and will respond to questions with off-topic statements. These behaviors have been observed with adults and peers in multiple school situations. Jacob’s best conversational communication occurs in a quiet one-on-one setting where the speaker has his full attention. Language improvements have been noted by his teacher. Jacob has learned to greet and say good-bye to people and if focused will try to answer questions. During an observation, Jacob sneezed and the student sitting next to him said “Bless you.” Jacob smiled and stated “Thank you.” Jacob’s mother has recently noted that at home he is providing more direct and on-topic answers when questioned about activities and events within his day.

Jacob typically does not initiate appropriate social interactions with peers. He has been observed initiating interaction through touching or off-topic statements within the classroom, and rough play at recess. Jacob does watch his peers and follows their actions as prompts for activity transitions in the classroom. Jacob appears to prefer not to make direct eye contact with adults, but will when engaged in a one-on-one conversation or when given a verbal or physical prompt. According to his parents, Jacob does not initiate interactions with peers in settings outside of the home, such as the park or in group swimming lessons. He prefers to play on his own. At home Jacob actively seeks out interactions with his family. He likes to play with his 12-year-old sister, will seek out a parent to read a book to him, and enjoys rougher games such as chase, tag, and wrestling. Jacob’s father stated that they have recently moved into a larger home. Jacob enjoys playing outside and working with his dad in the garage.

Adaptive Skills:

Jacob’s classroom adaptive behavior and home adaptive behavior were assessed through interviews and observations. In the classroom, Jacob’s short attention span negatively impacts both his academic achievement and performance. He needs consistent prompts to stay focused and on-task. In a structured observation, Jacob demonstrated inattentive behaviors during 63% of the 15-minute observation. He responded to teacher prompts to return to his activity, but was often off-task again within 30 seconds. On a second observation, Jacob sat quietly with his legs crossed and hands folded in his lap throughout a 25-minute whole-group lesson, though he was rarely focused on the teacher. During the observation, Jacob stared at pictures on the walls.

At home, Jacob is appropriately independent in his self-care. He uses the restroom, bathes, feeds, and dresses himself. He will ask for assistance if he needs something, but prefers to try to get it on his own first. Jacob does demonstrate limited knowledge or understanding of danger in the community. He needs assistance crossing the street and supervision when outside. At school, Jacob independently uses the restroom and cafeteria. He needs assistance to get to and from his classroom, the office, and his speech room.

Summary:

Jacob is a 6-year-old student enrolled in Kindergarten at Good Elementary School. Jacob currently receives Speech and Language services due to expressive language delays. His current eligibility for services is Speech and Language Impairment. This assessment was completed to evaluate Jacob’s current eligibility and need for further Special Education services.

The California Special Education Code states a student qualifies under the eligibility of Autistic-Like Behaviors if the pupil exhibits any combination of the following autistic-like behaviors that adversely affect educational performance, to include but not limited to: (1) an inability to use oral language for appropriate communication; (2) a history of extreme withdrawal or relating to people inappropriately, and continued impairment in social interaction from infancy through early childhood; (3) an obsession to maintain sameness; (4) extreme preoccupation with objects or inappropriate use of objects or both; (5) extreme resistance to controls; (6) displays peculiar motoric mannerisms and motility patterns; (7) self-stimulating, ritualistic behavior.

Based on the information gathered for this evaluation Jacob consistently exhibits five of the listed autistic-like behaviors at various degrees. Jacob has a history and continues to demonstrate delays in oral language. Jacob demonstrates impairments in social interactions with peers and adults that have been observed throughout his development. Jacob has demonstrated a strong preoccupation with specific movies and television shows. He uses repetitive dialogue from the movies in a self-stimulating manner. At times, Jacob demonstrates difficulty with physical boundaries with his own body and peers. The behaviors noted above have decreased at home and school since Jacob has enrolled in school. He has made marked improvement in his expressive language, his interactions with adults, and his ability to follow routines within the classroom. Improvements in language and social skills have also been observed at home. Although improvement has been observed, these behaviors continue to negatively impact his academic achievement. Jacob requires further Special Education services to make progress in the general education curriculum. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will convene to review these assessment results. Decisions regarding both eligibility and services will be decided by the IEP team.

Behavioral recommendations are provided through consultation with the CUSD Behavior Support Team.

• Give frequent and immediate verbal praise when desired behavior occurs.
• Give behavioral redirections in short, simple statements. Wait for Jacob to comply with the redirection before returning to the activity or moving on.
• Give behavioral redirections in the form of statements rather than questions (e.g., “Please sit on your bottom” rather than “Will you please sit on your bottom?”).
• Allow time for Jacob to process and comply with a direction prior to giving a second.
• Be consistent in behavioral expectations across staff members and activities.
• Be specific when redirecting undesirable behaviors. State the behavior you want to see rather than the behavior you don’t want to see (e.g., “Still hands” rather than “Stop banging your hands”).
• Allow Jacob choices in non-preferred activities to increase motivation to complete those tasks.
• Consistently and frequently use a behavior contract that addresses one or two specific, observable, and measurable behaviors. The contract should be implemented in at least 15-minute increments or at every activity transition.

Respectfully Submitted,

School Psychologist

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Example 6: Elementary Bilingual Student, Triennial Evaluation Reassessing Special Education Eligibility, Placement, and Services

This report is at a 12.2 Flesch Kincaid grade level with 20% passive sentences.

Student: Rebecca Tapia	School: Chapman Elementary School
Gender: Female	Primary Language: English/Spanish
Age: 8.10	Current Placement: MM SDC
Grade: 3

Rebecca is a third-grade student enrolled in Current Unified School District at Elementary School. Rebecca has received Special Education services through placement in a mild-to-moderate Special Day Class (MM SDC) with related services since her initial Special Education evaluation. Rebecca currently receives services under the eligibility of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Rebecca has academic goals in written language, math computation, and applied math. She has a history of steady academic growth and is currently mainstreamed into a general education classroom for 90 minutes of daily language arts instruction. A triennial, or three-year, review of Rebecca’s Special Education eligibility, placement, and services is being conducted at this time. This evaluation will answer the following questions:

• How does Rebecca’s educational history affect her current educational achievement?
• What are Rebecca’s current academic skills in the areas of reading, written language, and math?
• Are Rebecca’s Special Education eligibility, placement, and services meeting her educational needs?

Assessment Procedures: The following procedures were chosen to provide data and information to assist in answering the evaluation questions. Based on a review of records and interviews with her grandmother and teachers, further standardized assessment was not needed to answer the evaluation questions.

Review of Records:
Cumulative School Records	DATE
Classroom Work Samples	DATE
CUSD Criterion-Based Assessments	DATE
Interviews:
Special Education Teacher, Selena Class	DATE
General Education Teacher, Zoe Right	DATE
Guardian, Constance Tapia	DATE
Speech and Language Therapist, Julia Word	DATE
Observations:
Recess	DATE
Small-Group Math Instruction	DATE

Assessment Questions and Results: After each question, the answer is provided in bold and italics. The information and data used to answer the question are also provided.

How does Rebecca’s educational history impact her current educational achievement?

Rebecca was born prematurely and had significant early medical needs. She received early intervention services through Local Regional Center (LRC) from birth to 3 years of age. She has received Special Education services since her initial evaluation at the age of 3. Rebecca has made steady and consistent academic growth, meeting 80% of her overall annual IEP goals.

Rebecca’s background information was gathered through a review of her cumulative records and an interview with her grandmother, Constance Tapia. Rebecca was born at 25 weeks’ gestation. She had significant medical needs and was in the neonatal intensive care unit for 4½ months.

Rebecca received early intervention services through Local Regional Center (LRC) when she was released from the hospital. These services included in-home infant stimulation, physical therapy, and speech and language therapy. Rebecca’s first language was English, though Spanish was spoken in the home between caregivers. Rebecca’s early therapies were all conducted in English, though her mother noted that her grandmother, who lived with them, only spoke Spanish to Rebecca.

Rebecca was referred to Current Unified School District (CUSD) for an evaluation for Special Education eligibility and services before her third birthday. Rebecca was evaluated in English and Spanish, though English was identified as her dominant language. According to the initial evaluation she demonstrated strengths in cognitive and social development and delays in language, visual, and fine-motor development. She was found eligible for services under the Developmental Delay (DD) criteria. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) was held on DATE and educational goals were created in the areas of attention, number relationships, writing, and expressive language. Rebecca began attending preschool at Chapman Elementary School in their Special Day Class (SDC) for students with mild-to-moderate (MM) disabilities. She also began receiving 60 weekly minutes each of Speech and Language (SL) and Occupational Therapy (OT) services.

Annual IEP meetings were held in December of DATE and DATE. Rebecca made academic progress, meeting 75% of her IEP goals. Her services, including placement in the SDC preschool, SL, and OT, remained the same. She transitioned into Chapman’s Kindergarten/first-grade MM SDC for Kindergarten and began mainstreaming into a general education Kindergarten classroom for 60 minutes of daily language arts instruction.

A triennial assessment of Rebecca’s Special Education eligibility, placement, and services was held in November of Kindergarten. According to the psychoeducational evaluation report, Rebecca’s overall cognitive ability was in the average range. She had weaknesses in nonverbal reasoning and strengths in verbal reasoning. According to the Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment, Rebecca continued to have difficulty with visual motor tracking, coordinating distal movements, and bilateral coordination, which negatively impacted her fine-motor skills and visual motor coordination. The Speech and Language (SL) therapist reported that Rebecca had age-appropriate voice quality, fluency, and articulation. Her expressive and receptive language was in the average and she had met all of her SL goals.

Based on results from the psychoeducational, OT, and SL evaluations, the IEP team decided to change Rebecca’s Special Education eligibility to Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Her cognitive abilities were estimated to be in the average range. She demonstrated relative weaknesses in visual motor integration and motor planning. These weaknesses were impacting her academic achievement in written language, math computation, and applied math. Her placement remained the MM SDC with mainstreaming for language arts instruction. She also received 60 minutes of weekly OT services and 30 minutes of monthly SL consultation.

Rebecca continued mainstreaming into a general education Kindergarten classroom, though the time was increased to 90 minutes a day. She continued to makes solid progress and completed Kindergarten, passing the Middle of Kindergarten literacy screenings, measures of letter-sound knowledge and sight-words. She also passed the End of Kindergarten fiction reading benchmark, a measure of reading fluency and comprehension.

Rebecca continued in the Kindergarten/first-grade MM SDC for first grade with 60 weekly minutes of OT and 90 minutes of daily mainstreaming. At her annual IEP, Rebecca had met 80% of her goals. Rebecca completed first grade, passing the End of First Grade fiction and nonfiction reading benchmarks and the End of Kindergarten phonemic awareness literacy screening. With extended time as an accommodation, she was proficient in addition and subtraction facts to 10.

Rebecca transitioned into the second-/third-grade MM SDC for second grade. At her annual IEP meeting Rebecca again met 80% of her goals. Her services in OT and mainstreaming remained the same. Rebecca took the State Standards Tests (SST) for the first time as a second-grader. Rebecca scored in the Far Below Basic range in Math and the Basic range in ELA. She continued in the second-/third-grade MM SDC for third grade where she is currently receiving 60 minutes a week of OT and is mainstreamed for language arts instruction every day for 90 minutes.

Rebecca’s primary language continues to be English and her instruction and related service therapies have always been provided in English. Rebecca’s primary caregiver is currently her grandmother, whose primary language is Spanish. Rebecca speaks both English and Spanish at home with her grandmother. Her grandmother was interviewed in Spanish and noted that Rebecca’s expressive Spanish skills have improved. They are both teaching each other their primary languages and she is impressed at how well Rebecca Spanish is improving.

What are Rebecca’s current academic skills in the areas of reading, written language, and math?

Rebecca’s current academic achievement was assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, observations, classroom work samples, and criterion-based assessments. Rebecca is a responsible, motivated, and hardworking student who is a pleasure to have in class. Overall, Rebecca is meeting many grade-level standards in reading. Her writing format and content has also progressed. Math computation is an academic challenge for Rebecca.

Language Arts: CUSD uses reading benchmarks to assess students’ reading mastery. Reading benchmarks are given when the teacher believes the student has demonstrated the literacy skills to pass the reading assessment at a specific level. Rebecca passed the End of Second Grade nonfiction benchmark last June. Mrs. Class, her Special Education teacher, and Ms. Right, her mainstreaming teacher, noted that Rebecca has strong phonemic awareness and decoding skills. She is able to comprehend what she reads. Her ability to answer literal and inferential comprehension questions and summarize text is at grade level. These skills continue to be an academic strength for Rebecca.

On a recent unedited writing activity about Halloween, Rebecca wrote: “Halloween is really scary. Firct Bats are sscary and Furry. Next I go trick or treating. I get Candy Apples. They feel like marshmelows. Last There are PumPkins. I like Halloween.”

Rebecca has good ideas for her writing and is able to organize her ideas using a prewriting tool such as mapping. She is able to form her ideas into basic sentences and a paragraph using an introductory sentence, transition words, and an ending sentence. Her penmanship has improved, though she continues to work on proper spacing and mixes upper- and lowercase letters in her writing. She uses her strong phonics skills to spell unknown words.

Math: Math is a more challenging subject for Rebecca. Rebecca has had difficulty memorizing basic math facts. Rebecca uses a number line to help her count up or backwards when completing math computations. When given an accommodation of extended time, Rebecca is partially proficient on CUSD addition math facts tests to 20. She is working on her proficiency in subtraction. Rebecca is more confident and successful with applied math. When given a single-step word problem, she is able to identify the operation to use and create a number sentence. Rebecca is currently being introduced to multiplication. She learns best when math concepts are previewed and reviewed in small groups. She needs repeated teaching and review to master new math concepts.

Classroom Adaptive Skills: According to Mrs. Class and Ms. Right, Rebecca is a responsible and hardworking student. She participates in classroom discussions and contributes to class lessons. Rebecca is able to start tasks in a timely manner, though she sometimes needs extra time to complete her work. She consistently completes all of her classwork and returns all of her homework. Rebecca is an overall motivated student who wants to learn and enjoys her time at school. Rebecca is very social with peers and is respectful to adults. She has many friends and is able to successfully interact with her classmates in many different classroom and recess situations. She is an overall happy child who enjoys school and interacting with others.

Are Rebecca’s current Special Education eligibility, placement, and services meeting her educational needs?

Rebecca has received Special Education services under the Specific Learning Disability (SLD) eligibility since her triennial IEP in December of DATE. Rebecca continues to make good-to-steady progress in all academic areas. Based on the results of this evaluation, her current eligibility, placement, and services are meeting her educational needs, though it is recommended that the IEP team consider increasing Rebecca’s mainstreaming time during social studies, science, and non-core academic activities.

Rebecca’s current academic achievement was assessed through review of records, observations, teacher reports, interviews, classroom work samples, and criterion-based assessments. Rebecca is a responsible, motivated, and hardworking student who is a pleasure to have in class. Overall, Rebecca is meeting many grade-level standards in reading. Her writing format and content has also progressed. Math is an academic challenge for Rebecca. Rebecca has continued to make good-to-steady progress in all academic areas. Based on the current OT assessment, delays in visual motor integration and motor planning continue to impact Rebecca’s academic achievement.

Rebecca’s teachers have reported that Rebecca is a responsible, motivated, and hardworking student. She is socially successful with peers and adults in a variety of school settings. Based on the results of this evaluation, Rebecca’s current eligibility, placement, and services are meeting her educational needs. Rebecca’s IEP team, including her teachers and grandmother, hope to transition Rebecca to general education with Special Education math support by the time she is in fifth grade. The SDC environment provides Rebecca with the specialized instruction and extra time she needs to make progress toward grade-level standards. However, based on her grade-level literacy skills and developing writing skills it is recommended that Rebecca’s mainstreaming be increased to include social studies and science, as well as all non-core academic activities. This will help support her transition to general education, while allowing her specialized support during math and small-group writing instruction. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will convene to review these evaluation results. Decisions regarding eligibility, placement, and services will be made by the IEP team.

Respectfully Submitted,

School Psychologist

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