102746 - INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

MODULE 4 LECTURE – IDENTIFICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Mina Mina Dreaming” by: Betsy Lewis

From http://aboriginalartcollection.net/pressRelease4-11opening.htm
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this module, you should be able to;

What is identification?
Explain the identification and referral process of
students with additional needs.
WHAT IS IDENTIFICATION?
Early Identification is not a Diagnosis
Identification is
 A recognition that there is a concern about the child’s level
of development
 An indicator that further investigation is needed
 A precursor to referring the child and family on to
specialised services

Does This Child Need Help? -Learner’s Resource Book

IDENTIFICATION SKILLS
DOES THIS INDIVIDUAL NEED HELP?
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?

Developmental Age / Chronological Age

IDENTIFICATION

• Cognitive delay?
• Specific learning difficulties?
• Fine motor problems?
• Gross motor problems?
• Communication problems?
• Social interaction problems?
• Behaviour problems?

…which are unlike his/her peers?

IDENTIFICATION

As teachers in educational settings, our

role is to

accurately describe the presentation

NOT to form conclusions

 ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THE
PRESENTATION
✓takes longer than peers to respond
to verbal requests
✓takes longer to learn new skills,
requires more repetitions
✓extreme difficulty coping with
change, shows distress
✓has some restricted/ repetitive
behaviours which interfere with
school functioning
✓inflexibility of behaviour causing
significant interference with school
functioning
✓difficulties with mathematical
reasoning
✓ limited interactions narrowed to special
interests
✓ social communication requires supports
✓ unsuccessful to-and-fro conversation
skills
✓ inaccurate or slow and effortful word
reading
✓ difficulty with understanding the
meaning of what is read
✓ minimal response to social overtures by
others…
✓ limited initiation of social interactions…
CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF DRAWING
CONCLUSIONS IN YOUR DESCRIPTION?

“Has cuts on arms and legs which may be self injurious.”

OUR ROLE IS NOT TO NAME OR SUGGEST
DIAGNOSES AT ANY TIME.

Discuss concerns with colleagues, and

specialist staff using appropriate
language.
Only the School Counsellor/
Psychologist is qualified to discuss (but
not make) diagnosis or treatments as
appropriate.
SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENTS

 Setting- based assessments, e.g. safety, practicality, comfort

 Strengths-based assessments, and applications/ interventions
 Curriculum content – knowledge gained in subject areas
 Learning progress – mapped against syllabus learning continuum
 Diagnostic- literacy/ numeracy (Specialist Teacher support)
 Learning interventions – assessment of impact of these?
 Behaviour interventions – assessment of impact of these?
 Assessment of school data summaries- documented observations, records of
behaviour incidents on Sentral/ Millennium/ LMBR etc.
 Standardised tests e.g. NAPLAN – comparison to age-group
 Functional Behaviour Assessments (Specialist Teacher support)
REFERRAL TO LEARNING SUPPORT TEAM

In educational settings, our professional

role in the assessment of students can
only go as far as :
Learning Support Team.
School Counsellor/ Psychologist level.
REFERRAL TO THE SCHOOL
COUNSELLOR

Referral to School Counsellor/ School

Psychologist made through Learning Support
Team

School Counsellor assesses all the available school-

based information, and can explore teacher
concerns further via psychometric tools, then
forms a hypothesis
EXAMPLES OF SCHOOL
COUNSELLOR
ASSESSMENTS:
 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) assessment
 Deveraux assessment (investigating depression/
anxiety/ attention)
 Connor’s assessment (investigating features of ADHD/
Oppositional Defiant Disorder/ Conduct Disorder)
 Achenbach Child Behaviour Checklist (parent/ carer
and teacher report forms investigating depression/
anxiety)
 Sensory checklist (with parent/carer investigating
sensory over/under-stimulation)
 Social Responsiveness Scale (investigating features of
ASD)
THE SCHOOL COUNSELLOR CAN:

 make suggestions for classroom management.

 suggest intervention which requires parent consent.
 communicate with parent/carers with a strong grasp of ethical
considerations.
 make recommendations to carers for possible follow-up with
other Health Professionals e.g Occupational Therapist, Speech
Therapist, Psychologist, Paediatrician.
SCHOOL COUNSELLOR LIAISING WITH
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

….liaises with Health Professionals about the student’s educational

needs.

…Psychologist may present a case for diagnosis by providing assessment

results to the Paediatrician.
THE PAEDIATRIC ASSESSMENT

Paediatrician coordinates all the assessment information.

Paediatrician conducts a medical examination, physical,
motor or developmental assessment.

ONLY the Paediatrician is qualified to make a

diagnosis.
ASSESSMENT RESULTS FROM THE
PAEDIATRICIAN INDICATE:

❑ Cognitive delay?
❑ Specific learning difficulties?
❑ Fine motor problems?
❑ Gross motor problems?
❑ Communication problems?
❑ Social interaction problems?
❑ Behaviour problems?
RESULTS FROM ASSESSMENTS BY
OTHER PROFESSIONALS

✔ School Counsellor/ Psychologist’s report

✔ Psychologist’s report
✔ Occupational Therapy report
✔ Speech Therapy report
✔ Paediatrician’s report
EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT:
Disability Standards for Education (2005)

The Standards include

obligations for making
reasonable adjustments to the
student’s learning program and
or learning environment.
IN SUMMARY
Identification

Hypothesis
(NOT conclusion!)

Assessment

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ASSESSMENT

RESULTS
ANY QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU

Not sure about something?

Take a moment to pose a question on the discussion board!