Identification and Assessment
PURPOSE: To help student teachers to identify learners with disabilities/special educational needs using informal
procedures to identify them before applying specific assistance strategies.
To equip student teachers with skills on how to assess learners with or suspected disabilities/special
educational needs.
NOTE: Knowledge of the characteristics of learners with disabilities/SEN helps in early identification of these learners., which means that they can be helped before the problem assumes serious proportions.
IDENTIFICATION: refers to the recognition /spotting/picking out of particular characteristics in the child amongst other children in class which might possibly indicate a problem.
In order for the teacher to identify problems learners may have, he/she should be on the look out for conspicuous behaviour, appearance and complaints of the learners in class which may be associated with vision, hearing, learning difficulties and many others. The teacher should take note of the severity and frequency of the problem. This can be done through observation, listening, consulting learner's reports etc.
Methods that can be used to identify learners with SEN/Disability
a) Observation - can be explained as "visual inquiry" conducted through systematic examination.
Activity 1
Read the story of Lineo below. Visualize an image of her in your mind.
Lineo's Story
Lineo is a 14 year old girl in grade 8. She finds it difficult to read the teachers written work from the chalkboard but she can read from her text books if she keeps them close to her eyes. She also does not like to sit near the window especially when the sun is shinning. her skin is white and very sensitive to sunlight. She also has rapid involuntary back-and-forth movement of the eyes.
- What are the characteristics about her that you can observe?___ ________________________________________________________________
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- Can you name a few learners or people that you know who show the same manifestations as Lineo _______________
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NOTE: With careful observation of learner's behaviour in the class and outside, the teacher may learn much about a learner's behaviour and /or frame of mind.
None-verbal communication with the teacher and other learner's as reflected in body posture, facial expressions and gestures should be carefully observed to determine the nature of the problem if any.
Observation helps a teacher to identify the behaviour and appearance of the learners which may be conspicuous.
b) Listening- By "listening" in this context, it means that the meaning underlying the learner's verbal utterances must be "heard"
The teacher should establish the motives behind the words, for instance : the learner who always or often say the following: can you repeat the question please?; what have you said?; i s that a b or a d?; or
can always complain of not understanding what has been taught but not able to state what exactly he/she did not understand
- From the statements above , what type(s) of SEN/disability can you pick? _________________________________________________
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c) Consulting Learner's Reports and School Records
The school attendance register should be consulted to determine the learners school attendance record. In this way, one can establish whether there has been a drop in the learners school attendance and if so when it began and why especially if the learner exhibits some problems in his/her academic work.
Learner's reports and school records also indicate changes in schools if any, achievements and progress in earlier grades which helps the teacher identify the learner's problem if any.
Activity 3
Read the story of Thabo below. Visualize an image of him in your mind.
Thabo's Story
Thabo is a 17 year old boy in grade 10. He attends at Lehola High School. He first started his grade 8 at Molapo High school. He has attended 3 different high schools and Lehola is the 4th high school. He shows a drowsy face or flagging interest during the Math period. He does not finish or do his Math homework at all. If he tries to do it, assignments are of poor quality and always handed in late. Math and English books go missing or are left at home.
- What problems can you identify with Thabo? _____________________________________________________________________________
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- Do you think school records are important in this case with regards to identification of learners with SEN/Disabilities ? If yes/no state the reasons_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Conclusion: Identification of a possible problem should lead to assessment, that is, the teacher should assess/screen the learner to confirm the problem before considering any further steps. Strategies for assessment should therefore form an important part of the teachers' skills.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment - refers to the purposeful collection of data to determine whether the problem really does exist and if so what is its nature and context..
Why Assessment :
- to confirm the problem that was identified
- to find out what kind of assistance in learning is needed
- to establish a good starting point
- to provide appropriate services
- for referral purposes before the problem assumes serious proportions
When are Learners Assessed
- ideally learners with disabilities/SEN should be assessed as soon as their conditions have been detected
- when learners with disabilities first begin school and during the course of the year .
Activities to be Carried Out When Assessing Learners
- testing of hearing and sight (these senses are critical in learning) Assessment will be discussed in depth under the two disciplines
- structured observation
- interview
A) Structured Observation
It is a deliberate observation of a specific learner in different situations at a given time. A checklist might even be used to observe a learners appearance, motor behaviour (gross and fine), social, affective and cognitive behaviours accurately.
B) Interviews
An interview can be explained as a "conversation with a purpose"
Interviews with learners, teachers and parents provide additional information that will contribute to a better understanding of the learner and his or her problems. (Interviews should be recorded)
i) Interview with the learner
- interviews with the learner should be conducted in a one-to-one situation
- the teacher should ensure that the atmosphere prevailing is good,
- the learner should feel trusted, understood, accepted and should not be interrogated.
Activity 4
Refer to Thabo's tory activity 3 . Read the story once again to answer the questions below.
An interview with Thabo may begin as follows:
"It seems to me that something is bothering you Thabo. Would you like to discuss it with me?" OR
"I have noticed that you do not complete your homework these days, would you like to tell me why?
Can you think of 2 other ways in which the learner may be approached? Write down the statements.
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ii) Interview with parents
It is the duty of the teacher and/or headteacher to discuss the learner's problems with he parents
The information needed from the parent about the learner is as follows: - family history, history of pregnancy, delivery, condition of the child after birth and present impairment/disability.
- during the interview the teacher should try to create an atmosphere of mutual trust,
- the teacher should guard against making the parents feel guilty about their children's problem etc.
iii) Interview with other teachers
The headteacher must be involved in the evaluation/assessment process
Interviews with other teachers with whom the learner has or had close contact with, can also make a valuable contribution.
Conclusion
1. Appropriate assessment leads to : appropriate decision making, appropriate placement of the learner and appropriate Individual Education Plan(IEP)
2. The teacher should also be open to criticism of him/herself. A learner's learning problem could be ascribed to a personality clash, poor teaching, poor planning and preparation of the teacher. The teacher therefore should be prepared to do some self examination.!!!!!!!!