The Role of Response to Intervention (RTI) in the Determination of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Audio Introduction
Summary
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) are neurological disorders that impacts how the brain manipulates information and accounts for the largest percentage of school-age disability diagnoses. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered preventive system designed to ensure that all students are receiving appropriate instruction to maximize academic achievement and minimize problem behaviors. RTI includes screening of students to identify students at risk, ongoing progress monitoring, and data collection to determine students’ responsiveness to intervention. To help determine eligibility of SLD the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) encourages models that implement RTI frameworks to most effectively target students’ needs, provide quantifiable and quantitative data, and overall reduce the number of SLD cases. However, this is heated controversy. The RTI frameworks are still being developed and can be easily influenced by external factors. Yet, IDEA states that RTI is just one component of evaluation and that the benefits ultimately outweigh the cons.
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) are neurological disorders that impacts how the brain manipulates information and accounts for the largest percentage of school-age disability diagnoses. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered preventive system designed to ensure that all students are receiving appropriate instruction to maximize academic achievement and minimize problem behaviors. RTI includes screening of students to identify students at risk, ongoing progress monitoring, and data collection to determine students’ responsiveness to intervention. To help determine eligibility of SLD the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) encourages models that implement RTI frameworks to most effectively target students’ needs, provide quantifiable and quantitative data, and overall reduce the number of SLD cases. However, this is heated controversy. The RTI frameworks are still being developed and can be easily influenced by external factors. Yet, IDEA states that RTI is just one component of evaluation and that the benefits ultimately outweigh the cons.
Specific Learning Disability
IDEA Federal Defintion of Specific Learning Disability (34 CFR 300.8 Child with a Disability)
(i) General. Specific learning disability (SLD) means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia”.
(ii)Disorders not included. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Types of Disorders Included
IDEA Federal Defintion of Specific Learning Disability (34 CFR 300.8 Child with a Disability)
(i) General. Specific learning disability (SLD) means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia”.
(ii)Disorders not included. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Types of Disorders Included
Causes and Symptoms
There is no known cause of Specific Learning Disabilities but it is thought to be linked to: - Heredity - Pre-natal and Birth Injuries - Serious Illness or Head Injury - Exposure to Toxins or Other Environmental Factors During Infancy and Early Childhood Symptoms vary on a case-to-case basis. If your child is struggling to listen, think, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations and you suspect a LD, check out these resources to research common symptoms of specific disabilities and consult with your child's teacher. |
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Impact on Learning
Interventions and Resources
From National Center for Learning Disabilities
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Response to Intervention
National Council on Response to Intervention Definition of RTI: "Response to intervention integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavioral problems. With RTI, schools use data to identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities." |
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Three Tier Model
Behavior
What are Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS)?
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This study examines the impact of PBIS on Organizational Health (
resource influence,
staff affiliation, academic emphasis, collegial
leadership, and institutional integrity) of Elementary Schools. It was found that schools that had implemented PBIS had a overall stronger, "friendly and collboraitve" community for students and staff and increased resource influence.
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Resources
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Eligibility and Determination of SLD
In This Summary:
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300.307
1. Add procedures for identifying children with specific learning disabilities. A State must adopt, consistent with 34 CFR 300.309, criteria for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as defined in 34 CFR 300.8(c)(10). In addition, the criteria adopted by the State:
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This Means:
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3. Add criteria for determining the existence of a specific learning disability.
The group described in 34 CFR 300.306 may determine that a child has a specific learning disability, as defined in 34 CFR 300.8(c)(10), if: The child does not make sufficient progress to meet age or State-approved grade-level standards in one or more of the areas identified in 34 CFR 300.309(a)(1) when using a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention; or the child exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance, achievement, or both, relative to age, State-approved grade-level standards, or intellectual development, that is determined by the group to be relevant to the identification of a specific learning disability, using appropriate assessments, consistent with 34 CFR 300.304 and 300.305; and the group determines that its findings under 34 CFR 300.309(a)(1) and (2) are not primarily the result of: o A visual, hearing, or motor disability; o Mental retardation; o Emotional disturbance; o Cultural factors; o Environmental or economic disadvantage; or o Limited English proficiency. |
To ensure that underachievement in a child suspected of having a specific learning disability is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math, the group must consider, as part of the evaluation described in 34 CFR 300.304 through 300.306:
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4. Describe the required observation.
The public agency must ensure that the child is observed in the child’s learning environment (including the regular classroom setting) to document the child’s academic performance and behavior in the areas of difficulty. The group described in 34 CFR 300.306(a)(1), in determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, must decide to:
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This Means:
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Controversy
Sourced From:
Sourced From:
Adavantages:
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Concerns:
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Response(s) to Concerns:
However:
Including: Trained Professionals, Degree of Implementation, and Availability of Resources, and Familial Involvement On the right hand side is a case study looking at two instances where RTI was implemented to enhance educational outcomes and evaluate its level of success. Below it are three research articles that supports and opposes RTI- one examines referral rates of RTI and SLD and the other is an overall critique of the role of RTI in the SLD identification process. The third looks at RTI as a boost to CA low-performing schools. |
In Opposition of:
In Support of:
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Case Studies and Resources
Click on photo to read more about each student
and their experience with RTI
Click on photo to read more about each student
and their experience with RTI