When is their test score actually considered a LD?

Tracey in Texas the score needed to secure services as a student with a LD is 17…however, most districts have developed their own policy on the score needed to be considered LD. have you asked your district what their policy is?Tracey wrote:
>
> I spent yesterday at my sons ARD meeting trying to come up
> with an IEP and getting all the results from his Ed Eval and
> Psych eval.
> They used the Wechsler Test III to determine LD’s and I am
> kind of confused:
> Information:= -.09
> Similarities = +1.19
> Arithmitic= -.09
> Vocabulary= +2.91
> Comprehension = -1.09
> Digit Span = -1.09
> Picture Completion =+.91
> Coding= -3.09
> Picture Arrangment = +1.91
> Block Design = -2.09
> Object Assembly = -.09
> The assessor says he is very close to being considered LD by
> the state of Texas. I suppose it frustrates me that he is
> very weak in math, atleast one full grade behind where he
> should be and is very very weak in computations.
>
> He is determined to be emotionally disturbed due to behavior
> issues and his ADHD. I am kind at a loss on whether I should
> accept what they are offering or if I should contest their
> findings. I am thinking of getting my own independent eval
> done over the course of the summer, just to ensure that
> everything is truly what they say they are. The IEP being
> offered is not really offering a whole lot in helping him.
> One thing in particular, each assesor stated that he is very
> easily distracted which leads to anxiety, frustration etc
> until his teacher stated “he acts out for attention”. The
> assesors all mentioned this finding of his anxiety etc in
> their official reports. Each person involved stated he does
> much better in a small class room setting vs the full class
> of students, yet are unwilling to accomodate him by placing
> him in the small classroom setting, but in with the full
> population. He is being placed in Content Mastery for no
> less than 15 minutes per week with no minimum set into place,
> merely at his teachers desire to remove him from the
> classroom, and in fact the statement was made that they are
> sure his teacher would be happy to have the break of having
> him out of the classroom. The Psych eval stated that he
> would benifit from counsoling services at the school, yet no
> where in his IEP is it stated that they will check on him.
> Heck, 3 days ago I get a vmail from his teacher stating he
> had cut up his jeans again. I had to call the school back,
> and get ahold of the Asst Principal and he was not even aware
> of the problems. I had him investigating the situation and I
> suspect that had I not called and asked for him, he would
> still have no clue. The only time he has been checked upon
> was when I called the school and requested they check on him,
> only to forget him the next day.
> I am not expecting the school to do my job as a parent, but I
> do expect them to have knowledge of any issues occurring with
> my son while he is in their care. My son went through a
> period of very serious depression and had frequently
> discussed suicide. We have gotten his depression pretty much
> under control, but there is still some degree present.
>
> Any info or advise is greatly appreciated.

Your son is close in Math computations. The scores as reported on the IEP are meant to show how close he/she is to a standard deviation from the norm. To qualify for services he must be at least one standard deviation below the norm. At .-09, he is extremely close. You might try asking what is the margin of error on the test which could give you some footing for having him retested. A margin error of a plus or minus 2 would make the test results questionable as to whether he was meeting the definition. I think that if you can afford it have him retested this summer by a private psychologist who specializes in children. If you can find a neuropsychologist even better. Good luck. And take care of yourself. You sound like a good Mom.

The error of margin for the test states 3-point standard deviation.

I read further in his papers and I have a few more questions.
He was also given the Woodcock-Johnson III Test of Achievement-Form A Standard Battery. Looking at the age, grade, percentile rank and standard score, His Broad Mathmatics and Calculation Skills are pretty low. The age eq on each is 7-9, the grade eq’s are 2.3 and 2.0, percentile rank is 22 and 11. The standard over all score for these are 89 and 81.

Thank you soo much!!

you don’t say how old your son is so that might give some ideas.
have they done auditory processing tests.
my son was said to be mild adhd but then found to have significant auditory problems that were showing the characteristics of adhd.
i think we need to be careful to get a label for funding but….
with the information that you have concerning strengths and weaknesses can you and the eip team come up with 5 strategies that will each make a little difference in his learning and attitudes at school
good luck
charlene

Charlene wrote:
>
> you don’t say how old your son is so that might give some
> ideas.

My son is 9 years and 1 month old.
> have they done auditory processing tests.
I am unsure about auditory processing tests, but he was previously under an IEP for an articulation deficit till 9/00.

> i think we need to be careful to get a label for funding
> but….
> with the information that you have concerning strengths and
> weaknesses can you and the eip team come up with 5 strategies
> that will each make a little difference in his learning and

I hate having to label my son, the placing a label on him is the last thing I want. As it currently is, he is labeled as emotinally disturbed, and that is something that I just have trouble with swallowing. I know he has problems, I live with the child and I have seen him in all his good and bad times. I just am trying to determine if in this stage of the game they need to be looking at other things than just saying he is emotionally disturbed. If he also has a learning disability, I want him to get help for that also, not just because of his ADHD, anxiety and depression problems.

Thank you for your words of encouragment, it is nice to know there is someone else out there who is going through similar problems and how they too handle the situations etc.

Tracey

sounds like we may have a lot in common.
my son is 9 and 1 month also.
i initially started to go through testing because of big behavior troubles at home and wanted to find a ‘reason’ for it, that didn’t include bad parenting! (That is what his father/my ex says!)
anyway, as soon as we started the testing little things came out as problems and the tester or i thought of a little change we could make, ie. get him face to face with me before i asked him to do something. this type of thing is what i mean by finding little changes you can make.
we would do the same thing after each test or when i read something new on the net.
since this started in january, we have not had any major tantrums and he is sooooo much happier.
i would suggest that you see about auditory processing- i think it is a bit different than articulation testing but could also give a reason for why he had artic. prolbems.
charlene
ps. we have to keep our chins up!

the thing I have a hard time understanding here is :
1. he has a qualifying disability. He is classified as ED.
2. Reccomendatrions given,are given for the express purpose of being provided. If they refuse to give him services that are reccomended , I would request that they provide you with a specific reason in writing.

To go on and on about the criteria for being “ld” is really going off focus. Needs are identified,reccomendations are being given and they are not willing to provide them? Something isn’t right with that picture.Regardless of whether the scores are not showing a disability,needs are identified. He has a right to this,period.