What does a Full Scope IEP Test include?

Question

Hello,

My son will have his first IEP test for school and I am wondering what a full scope test will include. He is 14 years old and he will be in the 9th grade.

A little background, I just obtained full custody of my son and until February of this year he was residing in another county with his mother. The school never copied me on any reports cards or anything. I was told he was doing well.

Once I enrolled him in school over here I immediately noticed symptoms of learning disabilities. Specifically dyslexia

I want to make sure the school does a thorough job on this since his last school didnt seem to ever notice these suspected disabilites.

Thank you

Answer 1

In my school system we do comprehensive testing for most initial placements. I think that is probably the same as "full scope".

In a comprehensive evaluation, we test vision and hearing first. Then we administer academic tests in the areas of difficulty, usually reading, writing, & math. The reading tests covers basic reading (phonics, phonemic awareness, etc) and reading comprehension (how well do you understand what you read). The math tests cover mathematic calculations (basic operations) and mathematical reasoning (how well do you problem solve). In writing we test grammar & mechanics and staying on topic in logical sequence. Lastly, the school psychologist administers the IQ tests which is composed of various subtests. The content of these tests depends upon the one that is used.

Then the standard scores yielded by the academic tests are compared (subtracted from) with the ability test (IQ). Usually the full scale IQ score is used unless there is a 20-point or more discrepancy between verbal and performance, then the higher score is used for ability.

In my system, a 15-point discrepancy indicates a need for developing personal learning strategies and/or remediation in that particular area, like reading basics or math reasoning.

The achievement tests will pinpoint specific strengths and needs of the student.

A multisensory or multidisciplinary approach to reading is what you will want for your son. Dyslexia is not a disease. It is most likely a neurological disorder in the brain.

The student with dyslexia needs to learn systematic strategies to approach reading, not remediation. An accommodation with the reading/writing problem and the speech to text (and obverse) is helpful. It is physically exhausting for a student with reading problems to read for an hour. It is equal to a five-mile hike in physical impact. The PDA takes the place of lists and paper calendars, which pretty much rule a successful person's life.

My son writes in cursive using D'Neilian style because it has no fancy loop and is taught with connectors on all lower case letters. This helps him recognize that a group of letters forms a single word and does translate easily to the manuscript print he reads in textbooks. He was tutored following the Orton-Gillingham method. He learned letter sounds and to write them as he heard/said them. The trained tutor followed this multi-sensory approach which gave my son what he needed to succeed. He was tutored three times a week in one-hour sessions from third grade. This was continued during the summers and school years until 7th grade. He also learned sight words. In middle and high school he was in the Beta Club.

He is a successful college graduate with academic awards in his areas of concentration. He will be in graduate school in the fall. He uses MS Word with grammar and spellcheck for his research papers, followed by a final edit by a skilled English student. He also relies on his Franklin Speaking Spelling Dictionary which also reads definitions aloud. (When he was in grade school he used a Franklin Spelling Ace that spoke words aloud and suggested words for whatever misspelled word he typed into the program.)

The bottom line is, the student learns a strategy, or group of strategies, that help accomplish the goal of making him/her literate. It may not be in a conventional sense of what most of us perceive as normal, but in fact we all have little idiosyncrasies in different areas. The student needs to do what works for him/her. The sooner he/she can develop a Standard Operating System for him-/herself, the better. I know many teachers are not receptive, but a strong parent advocate can make them see the light.

Also, remember to teach the child to stand up for him-/herself as early as possible. Self-advocacy will prepare him/her for many situations in life, even if the parent has to follow-up throughout k-12 schooling. College is different and parents no longer have a say in what happens, so the sooner the child can calmly state his/her needs, the better

Answer 2

I believe you are talking about a comprehensive evaluation for special education services. The exact nature and scope of the evaluation differs in different states and in different school districts. In general, federal guidelines suggest that a special education evaluation takes place to assess the presence of an educational disability as well as a need for special education services. As others have stated, learning disabilities are often defined as a failure to achieve up to potential. This is often defined as a student exhibiting a discrepancy (difference) between a measure of cognitive functioning (IQ) and a measure of academic achievement. Who conducts which components of the evaluation varies with location, as do the requirements for special education eligibility. A good comprehensive evaluation should include a health assessment measures of academic achievement, observations of the student, reviews of existing records and educational history, some assessment of behavior or social/emotional functioning, and a review of documented interventions used to assist the child with their educational difficulties. When you give permission for an evaluation, you are being asked to give "informed consent". That means that you should have the process explained to you in a way that is understandable. If you have any questions about the evaluation, you should contact the school, and they should be able to put you in touch with someone who can answer your questions. In my state that would be me, as I am a school psychologist. I hope this helps. It sounds like you area a concerned parent, and that is a good start.

Good luck!

Answer 3

From what I get from your question, you are asking that your son be tested for eligibility in special education.  The tests performed on your son will be:

1.  Psychologist; they will test your son's IQ using a variety of tests.  This will determine what the school believes your son should be capable of achieving on the standardized tests and in the classroom.

2.  Special Education teacher; they will test your son using standardized tests to determine where he is academically.  The numbers from these tests will be compared to your son's IQ to find out if there is a significant deviation from his expected performance and actual performance.

3.  School nurse; she will compile a report concerning your son's medical history and whether there need to be further testing on your son's vision or hearing.

4.  Classroom teacher; they will give a report on how your son is doing in the classroom.  This will include academically, behaviors, and social skills.

Hope this helps.  I hope that when you asked for the testing you told them of your belief that your son had dyslexia.