DEFINITIONS,
LEGAL ISSUES, SCREENING AND DIAGNOSING
Training Materials
for Facilitators and Participants
CACE/CAEPA
Conference - Fall 1999
Prepared
by: Marcie Hanson,
Community Educational Outreach
(303)
447-3353
marciehanson@yahoo.com
Note: The materials used for
this workshop are taken from "Bridges to Practice: A Research-based Guide
for Literacy Practitioners Serving Adults with Learning Disabilities” - A project
of the National Institute for Literacy
http://slincs.coe.utk.edu/special_collections/learning_disabilities/bridges-to-practice.html
AGENDA
1. Introductions
Name, program, one
expectation from today
Background of Bridges to Practice (BTP) and the
2. Bridges to Practice Definition of a Learning Disability
Definition endorsed by BTP (page
3)
How components of a learning disability are
manifested (pages 4-5, from BTP Book 1, pages 13-14)
When do characteristics just
reviewed in various skill areas (i.e., reading writing, speaking, computation)
suggest the presence of a learning disability? (small groups discuss, share
with large group)
Positives and drawbacks to
identifying a person with a learning disability (entire group discussion)
Legal issues and
accommodations (page 6)
Screening and diagnosis of adults with learning disabilities (pages 7-9)
Legal Jeopardy game (page
10)
Bringing Literacy within Reach Screening Instrument
Bridges to Practice Background
· Both the program and the teacher have to change
The
Bridges to Practice
Bill Furney, Education
Coordinator Marcie Hanson,
Director
COBALT—First Judicial District COBALT-Community Educational
Outreach
Probation
Department
Telephone:
(303) 271-6387 Fax
Number: (303) 839-8406
Fax Number: (303) 271-6368 E-mail: marciehanson@yahoo.com
E-mail: wwfurney@aol.com
Debbie Jacobson, Instructor Ardith Loustalet
Simons
COBALT—
2001 Hoyt Street 2942
Skimmerhorn Street
Telephone: (303) 982-7460 Telephone: (970) 282-7098
Fax: (303)
982-7494 Fax:
(970) 282-0998 (use cover page)
E-mail: n_lambott@jeffco.k12.co.us E-mail: ardith@altavista.net
Ann Miller, Director Jacqueline
Palmer, Director
Southwest BOCES ABE Program
Telephone: (970) 565-8411 Telephone: (970) 245-3512
Fax: (970) 565-1203 Fax:
same (call ahead and tell me)
E-mail: adulted@cortez.k12.co.us E-mail: jpalmer@colosys.net
Leecy Wise, Coordinator
502
Telephone: (970) 565-1552
Fax Number: (970) 565-1203
E-mail: awise@fone.net
Definition
of Learning Disabilities endorsed by Bridges
to Practice
Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous
group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition
and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical
abilities. These disorders are intrinsic
to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system
dysfunction. Even though a learning
disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g.,
sensory impairment, mental retardation, social and emotional disturbance) or
environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences, insufficient,
inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), it is not the direct result of
those conditions or influences.
The National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities (1981)
·
Believed to be neurological (the central nervous system) in origin,
does have an organic, not psychological, cause
·
Spans the person’s life, therefore never “cured”; can develop coping
strategies to adapt through life
·
Therefore, learning
strategies must be portable
·
Includes social behavior irregularities
Legal Issues
·
Persons with a diagnosed learning
disability (LD) have Federal protection from discrimination under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA)
·
LD is a disability, a
condition that substantially limits a major life activity, according to the
·
A person with a diagnosed LD
is legally entitled to accommodations in certain situations (i.e. testing).
·
Only a qualified person can diagnose a LD
·
A program is not obligated to provide formal assessment, and should not
state to a person that they have a LD without an official diagnosis
·
A person must make their LD known to program, school, tester, or
employer, in order to legally be entitled to receive accommodations
·
The decision to disclose a LD is solely the decision of the person with
the disability
·
The decision to pursue a formal diagnosis is solely the decision of the
person with the disability
·
A program must provide reasonable
accommodations for the diagnosed person
with a LD to have equal opportunity to service as other students (unless doing
so would unduly burden program)
·
Should not ever state that you cannot help a person with a diagnosed LD
because of their disability; this is like stating you cannot help a person
because in he or she is in a wheelchair
·
Careful with labels – for
both subjective and legal reasons
·
Get consent if selectively screening, and always make it clear that the
screening provides only a possible indication
of a LD (still a good idea to get consent if universally screening also)
Examples of Accommodations for Adults with Learning Disabilities
·
Extended time for completing tests
·
Books on tape
·
Reduced visual or auditory distractions, such as a private room for
tests
·
Auxiliary aids and assistive technology, such as calculators,
high-lighters, and computers
·
Large print materials
·
Alternative format for instructions, such as audio-taped instructions
in addition to printed instructions for taking a test
·
Note takers
Screening and Diagnosis of Adults with Learning Disabilities
(Prepared by Bill Furney, Education Coordinator, COBALT—First Judicial
District Probation Department, (303) 271-6387, wwfurney@aol.com)
Literacy programs may use a
screening instrument to determine the likelihood of a learning disability (LD).
If used as part of the intake process for all learners, programs do not need to
obtain informed consent from each learner. However, if the program selectively
screens individual learners, written consent must be obtained. It is important
to note that screening alone does not identify whether a person has learning
disabilities. Results of LD screening are used by program staff to determine
whether the learner should be referred for a formal diagnosis.
Learners with an official
diagnosis can obtain accommodations and protections necessary for success in
instructional, work, and testing settings. An official diagnosis also entitles
the learner to protection against discrimination and makes the learner eligible
for special services and accommodations required under federal laws, such as
the Americans with Disabilities Act. The cost of diagnostic testing, however,
can be prohibitive, and the diagnosis may not be worth the effort and resources
required because it may yield few positive consequences for the learner.
Because few literacy
programs have a psychologist on staff to conduct diagnostic evaluations,
practitioners typically refer adults for services. An effective literacy
program will identify professionals or agencies in its community that can
assist with a comprehensive evaluation. Possibilities include public school
systems, rehabilitative services including vocational rehabilitation, and
mental health agencies. Within these agencies and systems there are people
qualified to complete an appropriate evaluation. However, not all persons who
are licensed to conduct the testing have sufficient information about adults
with learning disabilities to make a diagnosis. Programs should inquire about
the evaluator’s experience in the diagnosis of adults with learning
disabilities before referring the learner for diagnosis.
Programs can assist their
learners and instructors by communicating the information collected during the
program’s assessment process to the evaluator. Programs should also ask the
evaluator for the kind of information that would be helpful to the program in
providing literacy services.
Programs that selectively
screen learners should have a process for determining whether and when to
screen. Bridges to Practice
recommends the following steps:
1. Gather information about the
learner. Consider:
· work habits
· work samples
· informal conversations with
the learner
· learner’s comments or
questions
· medical histories that
suggest developmental delays or dysfunctions
· official records related to
disabilities status
2. Review observations with the
learner by discussing the information gathered. Do not offer a diagnosis.
3. Determine if the learner
desires additional screening for learning disabilities.
4. Select a screening
instrument.
5. Obtain informed consent and
give a copy of the consent form to the learner. The consent form should contain
the following information:
· name of the screening
test(s)
· interval of time for the
screening
· purpose of screening
· who will see the results
· how the results will be used
· where the protocol forms
will be stored and for how long
· the adult’s signature and
the date
· The program representative’s
signature.
1. Prepare a summary of the
results.
2. Review the results with the
learner.
3. Discuss “next steps” with
the learner.
[Since this workshop was offered, the following information was posted on “CLICK,” the Colorado discussion forum for adult educators, by Debra Fawcett, SLRC Director:
“A recent issue of CASAS Quarterly Report describes
an instrument for screening for learning disabilities, ‘ALDS-Adult Learning
Disability Screening battery.’ According to the article, most of the more
than eighty currently available screening instruments reviewed by the National
Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center were deemed inappropriate
and/or unreliable. Citing this lack of a valid reliable screening instrument,
researchers at the
Bridges to Practice recommends the following standards that have been identified as
important by practitioners in the fields of literacy and learning disabilities
throughout the
Administration Standards
· The requirements for
learning to use the screening material are reasonable.
· Guidelines regarding whether
or not to refer the individual for further testing are clear and reasonable.
· The time required to conduct
the screening procedures is reasonable.
· The screening material
allows accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
Technical Development Standards
· The screening material
adequately represents the full range of characteristics associated with
learning disabilities.
· The screening material is
consistent with what is currently known about learning disabilities.
· The screening material
reliably measures the individual’s learning characteristics.
· The screening material
accurately predicts who may have a learning disability.
· The screening material
accurately predicts a learning disability regardless of a person’s age, gender,
race, ethnicity, or primary language.
· Research supports the links
between screening procedures and instructional materials.
Bridges to Practice evaluated fourteen screening instruments. Participants at the Bridges conference recommend Bringing Literacy Within Reach: Identifying
and Teaching Adults with LD, published by the Learning Disabilities
Association of Canada. This inexpensive instrument ($25 initial cost and no
usage costs) measures characteristics of learning disabilities and levels of
skills (reading, writing, spelling, numeracy, and calculation) through an
interview and performance tasks given by a tutor. The manual prescribes
teaching strategies for skills assessed and suggestions for adapting the
strategies for various learning environments. A drawback to Bringing Literacy Within Reach is that
it is only available in English. However, only two of the fourteen instruments
reviewed are available in another language (Spanish).
While screening is not the
same as a formal diagnosis for learning disabilities, a program that considers
the needs of persons with learning disabilities will include a component for
screening. Even if a formal diagnosis is never obtained or not necessary, the
information generated by the screening process can be helpful in planning
appropriate instruction.
BRIDGES
TO PRACTICE H-8 LEGAL JEOPARDY RULES
BRIDGES TO PRACTICE H-9 LEGAL JEOPARDY GAME
· HEATH Resource Center Handbook, from the National Resources for Adults with Learning Disabilities, free copies available through NIFL website: www.nifl.gov/nalld/resources
·
Some Kinds
of LDs and Their Characteristics
·
Some Common
·
Memory Help
for Adult Students with Learning Disabilities
·
FREE
Talking Books for Adult Learners
·
LD
Publications Recommended by
·
Links to
Other Cool Places, LD Web sites (from www.colosys.net/click/links)
·
Roads to
Learning, The Public Libraries LD Initiative (www.ala.org/roads)
·
National
Institute For Literacy (NIFL) Bridges to
Practice listserv (listproc@literacy.nifl.gov)
·
CLICK E-mail
re: Technology for LD
·
Insights
re: Disability Law
·
Characteristics
of Adults with Learning Disabilities (from Bridges
to Practice Book1)
·
Characteristics Of The Adult Learner (prepared
by Marcie Hanson)
· HEATH Resource Center Handbook, from the National Resources for Adults with Learning Disabilities, free copies available through NIFL website: www.nifl.gov/nalld/resources
·
Some Kinds
of LDs and Their Characteristics
·
Some Common
·
Memory Help
for Adult Students with Learning Disabilities
·
FREE ATalking Books@ for Adult Learners
·
LD
Publications Recommended by
·
Links to
Other Cool Places, LD Web sites (from www.colosys.net/click/links)
·
Roads to
Learning, The Public Libraries= LD Initiative (www.ala.org/roads)
·
National
Institute For Literacy (NIFL) Bridges to
Practice listserv (listproc@literacy.nifl.gov)
·
CLICK
E-mail re: Technology for LD
·
Insights
re: Disability Law
·
Characteristics
of Adults with Learning Disabilities (from Bridges
to Practice Book1)
· Characteristics Of The Adult Learner (prepared by Marcie Hanson)