SPECIAL EDUCATION

Assessment in Special Education

Assessment in Special Education

Introduction

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has affected educational policy at both state and local levels. Policies governing assessment and evaluation appear prominently in this act (Sattler, 2001a). This entry reviews sections of IDEA that provide guidance as to the manner in which assessment data should be acquired and used. In the United States, 53,400,000 students are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2003). Approximately 14% receive special education services, most under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (see 20 U.S.C. 1414, for provisions that affect evaluations, eligibility, individual education plans, and placement; 20 U.S.C. 1415, for provisions that affect procedural safeguards; and 20 U.S.C. 1431, for provisions that affect infants and toddlers with disabilities).

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The initial federal legislation affecting special education, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, held state and local education agencies responsible for providing free appropriate public education to children aged 3 through 21 who have disabilities. The law was reauthorized in 1990 and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Its reauthorization in 1997 identified regulations governing the education and assessment of all children with disabilities, including those for infants and toddlers with disabilities. (Sattler, 2001b)

Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health service providers often rely on the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) for guidance when conducting assessments and making diagnoses. Although the DSM-IV is somewhat relevant to special education assessment practice, the legal status of IDEA and thus its overarching influence require psychologists and other mental health service providers to know and follow the act's regulations when conducting special education assessments (Moody, Vaughn, Hughes & Fischer, 2000). Thus, these regulations are emphasized in this entry.

Professionals are encouraged to obtain a copy of state board of education rules governing special education services from their state education agency, as these rules may differ somewhat from IDEA federal regulations. In addition, those interested in professional methods for conducting special education assessments are advised to consult Sattler (1998, 2001a, 2001b) and other authoritative sources.

Child with a Disability

IDEA defines a child with a disability as one with autism, hearing impairments, mental retardation, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, serious emotional disturbance, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, visual impairments, or traumatic brain injury who, due to the disability, needs special education and related services (emphasis added) (Sattler, 2001a). Children with attention deficit disorders, with or without hyperactivity, generally are served under the category of “other health impaired.” Services for children with learning disabilities are the most common.

Special Education

Thus, to be eligible for special education, a child must be diagnosed as displaying qualities associated with one or more of the above-named categories and found to need special education and related services. Special education consists of specially designed instruction reasonably calculated to provide meaningful educational benefit that meets the unique needs of children with disabilities and is provided at no ...