Lindsay Nichole Lambert

EDUC255-0AJ-J1-201330
Dr. Julie Bilz
March 5, 2014

At what grade level are most children
diagnosed with a disability/exceptionality?
What are some of the red flags, and what is
the process?"


Survey (via SurveyMonkey)
In person and phone Interview

Additional research collected from:
Creating Inclusive Classrooms (Salend, 2013)
National Center for Learning Disabilities
PBS
I began sending the link to the survey out on April 3, 2014
and began analyzing data on April 25, 2014.
Eight out of eight surveys that were sent were completed.
All of the surveyors have completed (at minimum) their
Bachelors Degree.
The majority of surveyors had their degree in Education
or Psychology.
All surveyors have had 5+ years experience working with
people who have some type of disability. Combined, their
experience was almost 80 years!
At what grade level are most children diagnosed with a
disability/exceptionality?
Every person who answered the survey answered (to some
degree): It would depend on the disability, and the severity of
the disability. Some went on to say that they have seen children
who are months old diagnosed. They have even seen children
get to high school and discover a learning disability.

What are some of the indicators of a disability?
Every person who answered the survey answered (to some
degree): It would also depend on the disability and severity what
symptoms they would exhibit. For instance, someone with a
learning disability may not show the same initial symptoms as
someone who has Downs Syndrome.


What is the process to get a child tested for a
disability?
Two teachers (who have 20+ combined years experience)
answered this question. It would depend on the type of
disability. Some students have behavioral issues that lead
to them getting an IEP, while others have a true learning
disability. Other students may have a disability that hinders
their learning, social/emotional, cognitive, etc. In schools,
for a learning disability, the steps are: pre-referral, RTI
(Response to Intervention), Comprehensive Educational
Evaluation.

Some indicators for a general childhood disability are:
Late speech, pronunciation problems, difficulty with rhyming
Trouble learning numbers, letters, days of the week, colors
and shapes
Difficulty learning and understanding left-right, up-down,
before-after, first-last, yesterday-tomorrow
Extreme restlessness, lack of ability to concentrate, impulsive
behavior
Difficulty following directions or learning routines
Awkwardness when running, jumping, skipping; may bump
into objects, fall frequently
Difficulty with buttoning, zipping, using scissors, catching or
hitting a ball


At what grade level are most children diagnosed with a
disability/exceptionality? What are some of the red flags, and
what is the process?"

Each child is unique, and depending on a variety of things (the
child, their possible disability, the severity of their possible
disability, their families/teachers knowledge of the indicating
signs of the possible disability, etc.). With that being said, the red
flags will also vary depending on the disability and the severity.
The process of getting a child tested for a disability varies from
state to state. In Indiana schools, for a learning disability, the
steps are: pre-referral, RTI (Response to Intervention),
Comprehensive Educational Evaluation.
Each child is unique, like a snowflake. No two children are
alike, and each situation, disability, etc. is their own. Never
should two children be compared against one another
Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2013).
Multicultural education in a pluralistic
society. Columbus: Pearson.

National Center for Learning Disabilities
(n.d.). National Center for Learning
Disabilities | NCLD.org - NCLD. Retrieved
April 29, 2014, from http://www.ncld.org/

PBS (2014, March 3). Signs of Learning
Disabilities . Education | PBS Parents.
Retrieved May 1, 2014, from
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/lear
ning-disabilities/basics/signs/

Salend, S. J. (2013). Creating inclusive
classrooms: Effective and reflective
practices. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill.