10 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER PRE-REFERRAL/EVALUATION
1. Have I visited my child’s classroom(s) (classes where s/he is doing well as well as classes where s/he is having difficulty)? What are the teachers’ instructional strategies? How do the teacher and my child relate to each other?
2. Is my child having difficulty in one subject (reading, for example) and doing well in other subjects? Or is my child having difficulty in several or all subjects?
3. Is my child having difficulty in one or more subjects where s/he used to do well? What could account for the change?
4. Is my child going through any special circumstances at home or in school that could contribute to his/her learning difficulties?
5. Is my child receiving quality instruction in reading, math, and other classes? Has my child consistently received quality instruction in subjects since s/he started school?
6. Am I making sure that my child is doing his/her homework? Am I available to support his/her efforts?
7. Have I discussed my concerns with my child’s doctor? What does my child’s doctor say?
8. What kinds of interventions has the teacher(s) already tried? What were the results of those interventions? How long did they go on? Have they been systematically implemented? Have any supports been provided to the teacher to help her/him work more effectively with my child?
9. Does my child speak a language other than English? Has s/he been provided with bilingual or English as a Second Language classes by a qualified teacher? Could her/his difficulties relate to lack of fluency in English?
10. If I believe that my child might have a disability, what do I think that disability might be? Why do I think that is the potential disability? Have I discussed this with my child’s doctor, teacher, others who know my child? What do they think? How do I think we should go about finding out if my child has a disability, and what that disability might be?