RtI and Identifying Disabilities: You Have Options

From the National Center for Learning Disabilities, always reliable: http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-testing/strategies-addressing-identification-issues?utm_source=LDOnLine.org&utm_medium=Twitter

If the school informs you that they are using Response to Intervention (RTI), you should go ahead and request an evaluation in writing as soon as you think your child may have a disability. Making this request is critical because your written consent puts a 60-day timeframe on both the completion of the RTI process and the evaluation. The process of determining whether your child has a disability such as a learning disability and needs special education cannot go on indefinitely. If your request for an evaluation is denied because your child’s school says they do not “suspect” a disability or because they are using RTI, you have the right to file either a due process complaint or a state complaint, discussed later.

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[Autism spectrum disorder]

Autism Spectrum Disorder is now recognised as a relatively common neuro-developmental disorder. It is commonly diagnosed in a child’s early years, although its cause is yet to be determined, but it is for sure that autism does affect the learning and communication capabilities of your children in negative ways.

The level at which this brain-based condition may affect a child varies; hence why it is called a “spectrum disorder”. While some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may function well with very minor limitations in day to day life, other children experience severe limitations in most areas of daily living. For more information on early detection of autism, please consult your physicians.