Open Heart Surgery to Treat High Blood Pressure?

You might find the title of this post a bit ridiculous and that is it's intention. In the field of special education and school psychology it is common to have children referred for evaluation and special education placement when all they really need are some simple interventions. Why send a student to a resource classroom if their main problem is seeing the blackboard? This is akin to treating a mild case of high blood pressure with full blown open heart surgery.

Many students who are failing academically are experiencing difficulty in the home. Whether that be due to family break-ups/divorce, physical/emotional abuse, or simply neglect, children often find themselves in survival mode. These kids are in need of interventions. However, they are often able to learn quite well when afforded the proper educational/learning environment.

Some things to consider before jumping to special education placement are:

1) Has the student failed a recent vision/hearing screening?

2) If prescribed glasses, does the student wear them?

3) Does the student regularly attend school? More than 2 weeks (10 school days) of absences can be significant.

4) Language of the student. Does the student speak English? Is English their dominant language?

5) Teacher input. Nothing beats a competent, caring, and experienced teacher. These professionals can quickly identify the true reasons a student is faltering. They may not be able to explain why the student can't learn but the surely will be able to tell you they need help.

6) Have other less intrusive interventions been attempted for sufficient time. Many times things get worse before they get better. When attempting interventions be sure to allow the student sufficient time to change to the new behavior. Also, no intervention works right the first time. They need tweeking and they need to be progressive in nature. Much like preparing for an athletic event, the intervention must have a purpose and be specific, measurable, obtainable, realistic, and tied to a deadline. This is the essence of teaching.