& Lewis Lewis Introduction – brief discussion about new structure -

Maroulla Christodoulou Antonia Kangalis Jenny Stott Senior Management Mark Lewis Director Bronwyn Lewis Senior Manager Management Tanya Boyd Manager Speech Pathology Services (Maternity Leave) Jo Fish Acting Manager Speech Pathology Services Alison Jones Manager, Assessment Services Geoff Riley Programs Manager Hazel Travers Office/Accounts Manager Regional Coordinators Amanda Parkinson South-West Coordinator Vicky Tsiakalakis South-East Coordinator Renee Styles North-East Coordinator Lisa Palmisano North-West Coordinator Lucy Jackson Support Coordinator SW Alvin Noveloso Support Coordinator NW/SE Psychologists Tanya King Senior Psychologist Jacqueline Duffee Senior Psychologist Rebecca Carmichael (Maternity Leave) Speech Pathologists Office Administration Gamze Cellatoglu Belynda Evans Amber Fernie Alistair Van Der Ploeg Administration Coordinator Geoffrey Hon Eunice Lee Min Li Maroulla Christodoulou Antonia Kangalis Jenny Stott Megan O’Conner Admira Sikiric Pauline Dizon Pat McGlinchy Danijela Todorovic Org. Structure as at 26/2/12 (Revised Alistair Van Der Ploeg)

Program for students with disabilities Lewis & Lewis has the statewide contract to provide specialist assessments for the DEECD to determine student eligibility for consideration for the PSD categories of: Intellectual Disability Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs The DEECD’s Resource Coordination Group (RCG) has the responsibility of reading applications and determining eligibility for the PSD Only provide assessment for ID and SLD-CEN. We are not responsible for providing assessments for other PSD categories: ASD SBD Physical Disability. Although categories of ASD and SBD will sometimes require cognitive assessment – those assessments should be done by school network psychologists Lewis & Lewis is not responsible for determining whether students are eligible

Program for students with disabilities Category Referral rate Lewis and Lewis received a total of 4672 referrals. Of those referrals 95% were for ID and 5 % were for SLD CEN.

Program for students with disabilities The assessments can be for: New referrals for currently enrolled students not supported by the PSD (annual round) Referrals for Prep entry Transfers from other systems, interstate or overseas (previously funded) Year 6 (or age equivalent) transition reviews Time-limited funding reviews

Program for students with disabilities Referral type Note: For SLD CEN there were no End Date referrals

Referral issues Collecting evidence to support referrals to Lewis & Lewis Schools should endeavour to provide Lewis & Lewis with detailed information regarding the student’s presenting difficulties, and evidence of significant and ongoing global difficulties.

Referral issues Things to remember Students are unlikely to have an intellectual disability if previous assessment results were in the low average or above range. Literacy or behaviour difficulties in isolation are not necessarily indicative of an intellectual disability Lewis & Lewis through their contract with the DEECD do not conduct assessments for learning disabilities. We do not assess simply because a paediatrician or parent has requested it. It should also be noted that L&L do not assess students for LD or Autism Spectrum Disorders. We are not a general assessment service.

Referral issues Completion of referral forms All referral forms are expected to be completed and signed If there is no available evidence under any of the headings in the Teacher Report Form, please specify the reason. Before allocation to a psychologist or speech pathologist we will be looking for evidence of ongoing ‘severe difficulties’ The stronger the evidence provided on the referral forms regarding current presentation the stronger the evidence is for your ENQ Forms with ‘no’ or ‘n/a’ or ‘fine’ written in questions asking about a students overall current presentation do not support an intellectual disability and in the absence of supporting documentation may be screened out If there is not enough information in the teacher report forms they may be sent back to you. It is important that these are completed completely as this information relates back to ENQ strength, the funding level as well as eligibility

Referral issues Completion of referral forms Do not write ‘refer’ to speech pathology assessment report when discussing language difficulties. Provide specific examples of difficulties within the classroom/school environment At busy times of the year, anything that delays the process will hold up your assessment The respondent’s name must be clearly stated on the Vineland –II. All previous assessment reports need to be included when the referral packs are returned even if L&L completed the previous assessments If there is not enough information in forms they may be sent back to you. Relate back ENQ strength to funding level as well as eligibility DEECD, fund the classroom, therefore it is important that not only a speechies opinion on the students language abilities is noted but also the teacher’s perspective on how the student’s language impacts on their ability to function within the classroom. Name on Vineland – this important as it needs to be stated in the students reports - esp application reports Previous Assessment reports – This is very important as we need to guarantee two years between assessments – and also to help with determining eligibility from previous profiles and supporting history

Referral issues Completion of referral forms – Current Presentation Social Skills e.g. Interactions with peers and adults, parallel play, friendships, etc. Behaviour e.g. Specific examples of behaviours such as oppositional behaviour, aggression and violence, withdrawal and isolation, dealing with transitions and change, dealing with failure, need for routine & structure Receptive & Expressive Language e.g. Echolalia, ability to follow instructions, do they require visual prompts, PECS, visual timetables. Intelligibility of speech, sentence structure, word knowledge, vocabulary, grammar, correct usage of pronouns, word associations, etc.

Referral issues Completion of referral forms – Current Presentation Fine motor e.g. Pencil grip, legibility of writing, ability to colour within lines, use of scissors Safety e.g. Following rules, leaving school grounds, road safety, close supervision on excursions Sensory e.g. Hearing and vision difficulties Self Care e.g. Specific examples of level of support required for toileting, dressing, eating, personal hygiene. Frequency of accidents.

Referral issues Completion of referral forms – Current Presentation Strategies and Curriculum Modifications Reading, literacy, numeracy, hand writing interventions. Small group/1:1 supports. Modified curriculum, individual learning plan, behaviour modification plan. Language programs. Use of visual timetables. Modified presentation of material. Aide support A lot of application were held pending further information due to the school NOT providing information around programs/current and past interventions for the student

Referral issues Completion of parental consent form It is important that parents are aware of the true purpose of the referral to Lewis & Lewis and the potential outcome of diagnosing their child with a disability Stress that this is the Schools responsibility and parents should be informed of this when parents sign/are provided with the L&L Consent Form

Referral issues Vineland - Instructions The following guidelines are provided by Lewis & Lewis to assist you to complete this form correctly and to provide an accurate indication of the referred child’s ability. A referral has been made for this child because it is suspected that he or she may have an intellectual disability. Keep this in mind when scoring each item and always compare their ability to their same age peers. Begin each section from Item 1. Ignore the ‘Start Ages’ in the left column although consider the age at which a normal child would be able to achieve the item before circling 0, 1 or 2. This is the sticker at the front of the Vineland – failure to do this will mean that it WILL be sent back for review.

Referral issues Vineland A response for each item MUST be provided. Forms with blank sections have to be returned to you as these can not be scored Although the Vineland is used as a screening tool, scores on the Vineland do not predict scores on an IQ assessment ABC and FSIQ have a small positive correlation. We have in the past received

Profile examples This profile is not indicative of an ID and the FSIQ was not calculated. The FSIQ was not calculated due to the significant discrepancy between the VCI and PRI. This profile is more indicative of language difficulties rather than an ID.

Profile examples Although this student meets criteria with a FSIQ of 70, this student does not present with an ID as his verbal and nonverbal reasoning abilities fall within the Low Average range, whereas his WM performance was extremely low. This profile highlights WM difficulties rather than an ID.

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs 5 Criteria to account for Language Assessment Elimination of confounding factors History and Evidence Intelligence Testing Critical Educational Needs

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs a) A score of three or more standard deviations below the mean for the students age in expressive, receptive and/or core language skills on two of the recommended tests 3 Standard Deviations = score of 55 or lower Language profile must be consistent across two tests eg: Expressive <55 on first test should also be expressive <55 on second test

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs Core EL RL ≤ 55 First test Second test First test Second test ≤ 55 ≤ 55 EL RL Core EL RL Core First test Second test ≤ 55 ≤ 55 EL RL Core EL RL Core

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs b) the severity of the disorder cannot be accounted for by hearing impairment, social emotional factors, low intellectual functioning or cultural factors SLD is considered a pure disorder Students may be diagnosed with a language disorder but not be eligible for the SLD-CEN program

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs c) a history and evidence of an ongoing problem with an expectation of continuation during the school years Early intervention School programs in place Specialist reports Speech pathology involvement

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs d) A non-verbal score at or above one standard deviation below the mean on one recommended intellectual test, with a statistically significant (P<0.05) difference between the verbal and non verbal functioning ≥ 85 Statistically Significant PIQ/PRI VIQ/VCI

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs In addition to language difficulties students must also demonstrate critical education needs in order to attract at least level three funding

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs In order to meet CEN criteria, the student must demonstrate high ratings on several scales listed on the Educational Needs Questionnaire. Supporting evidence can include: Current descriptive reports from the teacher outlining support or modifications required in specific areas of difficulty such as learning needs, mobility or fine motor skills Examples of incidences that have or are occurring during the day relating to behaviour or safety concerns

Severe Language Disorder with Critical Educational Needs Support programs (e.g. Psychology intervention for behaviour) and/or Individual Learning Plans currently in place Details of supervision or assistance the student requires in specific areas such as self care Current reports from specialists such as Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Medical specialists, Mental Health Workers, Psychiatrists, Audiologists etc

Childhood Apraxia of Speech - Dyspraxia CAS in children may be known by various names: Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia; Verbal Apraxia; Apraxia of Speech; Apraxia CAS is a childhood speech sound disorder in which children have difficulty programming, sequencing and initiating movements required to make speech sounds. Although characteristics may overlap, CAS is a motor speech planning disorder and should not be confused with other speech sound disorders. Due to the complexity of its nature diagnosing CAS can be very difficult and requires a very detailed assessment that includes analysing speech movements, sounds, patterns and rhythms

SLD – CEN SPEECH PATHOLOGY What is Supportive evidence? SPEECH PATHOLOGY Speech & Language Assessments completed including test scores Intervention Summary outlining therapy outcomes For a CAS referral (formal or informal) measures regarding the student’s overall communication difficulties e.g. sound errors, intelligibility ratings, other characteristics which may be consistent with a presenting CAS

SLD-CEN Applications n = 176

SLD-CEN Applications n = 301

Referrals received per week 2011/2012 500 2011 2012 400 300 200 100 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Week 26 Week 27 Week 28 Week 29 Week 30 Week 31 Week 32 Week 33 Week 34 Week 35 Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40 Week 41 Week 42 Week 43 Week 44 Week 45 Week 46 Week 47 Week 48 Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec In 2011, there were many peaks of referrals, especially closer to the annual round deadline. However, in 2012, it was a fantastic on the schools part as the referrals were more evenly spread through the year.

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to South-west Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to western Metropolitan Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Grampians Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Barwon South-west Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to North-west Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Loddon Mallee Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Northern Metropolitan Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to North-East Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Hume Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to eastern Metropolitan Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to South-East Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to southern Metropolitan Region - 2012 ...

STATEWIDE Distribution of IQ scores for students referred for ID assessment Compared to Gippsland Region - 2012 ...

Referral issues Things to remember Vineland should not be older than 12 months The Vineland is one of the criteria for the diagnosis of intellectual disability. It is an official document and must be completed accurately Often specific Vineland information is placed into PSD reports The DEECD requires 2 years between cognitive assessments (including WPPSI to WISC) and 12 months between language assessments. Lewis & Lewis do not keep DEECD files therefore it is important to provide copies of previous assessments. In regards to 6/7 Reviews, if the assessment is less than two years old after the annual round cut off date but prior the end of term 3. We do not assess simply because a paediatrician or parent has requested it. We are not a general assessment service.

Two Year Re-Assessment (Reviews/End Date) For early July reassessments schools should be encouraged to meet the existing annual round timelines where possible. So if the annual round timeline (prior to the end of term 3) cannot be met , the regional disability coordinator places a request at the SIED (Student Inclusion and Engagement Division) approval via email for a ‘late’ application. If eligible for consideration, the school submits the application ASAP attaching the SIED approval email. After the end of term 3, the Regional Disability Coordinator requests SIED consideration via email – SIED advises appropriate action.

Main points Lewis & Lewis is contracted to provide assessment for the categories of ID and SLD-CEN only To make a referral, call the L&L office. The person answering the phone will be senior staff member who can answer all queries and take referral information. During busy periods calls may be picked up by our paging service. Your call will be returned by a senior staff member. When you call, make sure you know the student and their relevant details Diagnosing disability is not just about providing extra support It involves joint effort by Lewis & Lewis and professionals in schools

 info@lewisandlewis.com.au  www.lewisandlewis.com.au Contact Lewis & Lewis  (03) 9380 5742  (03) 9380 6883  info@lewisandlewis.com.au  www.lewisandlewis.com.au