Entering the System

Diagnosis of disability might seem like a scary thing to a parent who is unfamiliar with what a life carrying that label looks like. But when entering the education system, diagnosis of disability is the key to unlocking a vast system of supports that can allow a child to grow and thrive alongside their peers.

The earlier a student with a disability has access to necessary supports, the more likely they are to be successful in the classroom, according to the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTCA). Early intervention aims to enable young children to be active in participating among their peers and successful in early childhood years. This can start in the home with their families, in child care in early childhood education centers, and/or in their communities.

Typically, an initial referral leading to a diagnosis allows educators to initiate the process of evaluating a student’s individual needs. That initial evaluation is then followed up by meetings with parents and educators to decide what that student's individualized learning plan needs to look like. When a child under 3 is diagnosed with a disability, they are eligible for an Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP), the precursor to the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that serves students in preK and K-12 settings.

Katia Gomez is an Inclusion Coordinator at Briya Public Charter School (Briya) in Washington D.C. where she has been for 4 years. Briya educates children and adults, allowing families to learn side by side, as parents learn language and literacy skills and kids receive early education. In her role, Gomez evaluates students who are showing signs of disability or who already have an initial diagnosis. In Gomez's role with Briya, many of the families that she services may be interacting with the U.S. education system for the very first time.

“I take care of the whole process of eligibility for students who might be showing some delays in different areas,” says Gomez. Gomez handles the initial process of evaluating students and looping in other educators to continue observations. She establishes and maintains close contact with parents to discuss the child’s diagnosis and proposed services.

But getting parents to understand and accept a disability diagnosis can be difficult.

Gomez has experienced her fair share of hesitation from parents.

“That word (disability) is very scary for a lot of parents. Also culturally, some countries might be more used to hearing that there is a process of eligibility for special education, and some others are absolutely not familiar with it,” says Gomez. Add a language barrier or gaps in levels of education among parents and families and an already confusing situation becomes even more difficult to navigate. She says talking and explaining the importance of extra support is essential to forming openly communicative relationships with the parents and helping them to understand just how important obtaining a diagnosis is, even when parents are hesitant. Gomez says “…explaining the importance of extra support and that it is very positive for their child to be able to get the supports at school for their development and progress. That is when I get to building that relationship with the parent. We absolutely have those cases where I have to have a conversation that is two hours long, and I might need to have another one before they say ‘I understand what you're saying. I do agree that this could be possible for my child.’”

States also differ in the services they offer to children and parents, which can create further confusion. For example, IDEA covers early intervention for kids with developmental delays and health conditions, but definitions of “delay” are left to the interpretation of the state. This interpretation will determine who is eligible for services and who pays for and provides those services.

For Gomez in Washington, D.C., the Strong Start Early Intervention Program is the single doorway for infants and toddlers under 3 years.

“For early intervention, 0-3, it's very common to see language services, you will see speech, occupational therapy, and in some cases, you don't see it as often, there will be ABA therapy, which really might have more to do with children who have characteristics of autism. When they’re that young it’s very rare that they would do a full evaluation. With autism that usually happens a bit later. Maybe [also] physical therapy, those are the services you would usually see on an IFSP,” Gomez says.

The process of identifying a child that may have a disability, evaluating and diagnosing the child, and outlining what supports the child may need through an IFSP can be a long and complex one that educators like Gomez put their hearts into.

“We believe that all children should be able to learn together and interact with each other, no matter where they are in their development. To make that happen, that all classrooms are inclusion classrooms, means that all teachers, special education teachers, need to be on the same page and need to have the resources and support to make that happen in the best way possible.”

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