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   It is important that evaluators be competent in administering, scoring, analyzing, and interpreting test scores. This entails they understand the importance of establishing rapport and understand how to elicit the optimum a student has to provide. It is just as important to know when they were not able to get a “good catch” or a good picture of the student and to say so in their report. If the student seemed ill or did not wear their glasses that day, or was jumping off the walls, an ethical evaluator will identify these behaviors and say that the scores obtained are not an indication of their best effort and thus represent a low estimation of the child’s true capabilities.

   For a child to be diagnosed learning disabled, a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDE) has to evaluate the child in various areas of functioning including: intelligence, speech and language, motor, social/emotional, behavior, and academic achievement. If a child does not have developmental concerns in one or more if these areas, the team needs to review existing data to show there is no concern. There also needs to be supporting evidence that the child can see and hear adequately.

   The MDE team needs to consider several variables to determine a diagnosis of learning disabilities. One of these is whether the student has had the opportunity or access to instruction. This is a key variable for children who begin school without preschool experience. . Another variable for the MDE team to consider is whether various teaching strategies have been tried, over an extended period of time, to meet the student’s particular learning style preferences.

   Another issue, somewhat related to this is attendance. If a student misses an excessive amount of school, they are at risk for academic delays but not necessarily because of a learning disability. This scenario is applicable for students with chronic health problems. Another health issue that affects the opportunity to learn is Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In essence, because these students are not able to focus and attend to instruction, they still have not been able to learn. Students with ADHD and ADD, who have significant academic delays, are eligible for Special Education Services under the category or Other Health Impaired.

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	Nonverbal Learning Disability
	Dyslexia
	Dyscalculia