Chapter 7: The Multidisciplinary Team and Parental Participation

Chapter 7:

The Multidisciplinary Team

and

Parental Participation

Jennifer Walker
Charisma White

February 21, 2023

Overview

Our focus for today’s chapter will be to:

● Understand the purpose of The Multidisciplinary Team

● Identify the members involved in the MDT

● View and compare the parental and school referrals for suspected
disabilities

● Understand the process and choices of assessment plans and
evaluations

● Identify parental roles in the assessment process

● Understand the importance of confidentiality and your role in
protecting it

Purpose of Multidisciplinary Team

Under the regulations of the Individual with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act, a team has been created to conduct assessments or
screenings for suspected disabilities of students. These teams can be
referred to as:

1.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

2.

Multifactor Team (MFT)

3.

School-Based Support Team (SBST)

The Child Study Team (CST) is the local school-based team; will conduct
screenings and refer due to suspected disability.

Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team

Members of the MDT may differ in states, districts, or individual schools.

● School psychologist

● School nurse

● Classroom teacher

● School social worker

● Special education teacher

● Educational diagnostician

● Physical therapist

● Behavioral consultant

● Speech/Language clinician

● Audiologist

● Occupational therapist

● School counselor

● Parents or guardians

Each member has

a unique role

within the MDT or

CST.

Multiple Choice

This member of the MDT works closely with the team in providing direct services or consultation on issues involving behavioral and classroom management techniques and programs.

• Audiologist

• School Nurse

• Behavioral Consultant

• Physical Therapist

Multiple Choice

A __________ is usually the member of the MDT that administers the individual intelligence tests, projective tests, personality inventories, and the observation of the student in a variety of settings.

• School Nurse

• Educational Diagnostician

• Special Education Teacher

• School Psychologist

Moment of Thought

When thinking of the Multidisciplinary
Team on your campus, who are the
members that are involved?

Does it change based on the student’s needs or stay the same for all student referrals?

Open Ended

When thinking of the Multidisciplinary Team on your campus, who are the members that are involved?

Does it change based on the student’s needs or stay the same for all student referrals?

Formal Referral for Suspected Disability

When a suspected disability is determined by the CST, a formal referral is made to the MDT.

This referral:

• Is a written referral by letter or form

• Starts the special education process

• Can be initiated by the child’s parent or
  guardian, a classroom teacher, professional
  member of the school or district, a student
  of 18 years or older on his or her own behalf,
  or a chief school officer of the state

Formal Referral for Suspected Disability

Here are some current district examples of formal referral documents.

Conroe ISD

When a suspected disability is reviewed by the CST, the form shown is completed with documentation such as a parent written request for evaluation, updated hearing and vision screening report from nurse and district records (View-it), and teacher data and records of student's academic work samples.

Formal Referral for Suspected Disability

Here are some current district examples of
formal referrals.

​Tomball ISD - Campus and Parent Referral Process

Jennifer's school has a full referral process and procedure for the campus and parents to follow.

Let's scane through and take a look at what we notice about this process.

Consent for Evaluation

Needs to use language easily
understood by general public.

Be provided in primary language of
the parent - unless not feasible.

Should state no IEP will result without
consent of parent.

Parent has 15 days from the receipt of
the proposed assessment plan to
arrive at a decision.

Should explain the types of
assessments.

Procedural rights should note the
right to record electronically.

Completed by those
competent to perform

the assessment.

Health assessment

Must be completed
by qualified school psychologist

Must be completed by
a credentialed school

nurse or physician.

Should be trained and

prepared to assess
cultural and ethnic

factors

Psychological
assessments

Multiple Choice

The assessment option that determines the strength and weaknesses in the child’s academic performance is _________.

• Intellectual and Psychological Evaluation

• Academic Achievement Evaluation

• Gross Motor Evaluation

• Speech and Language Language Evaluation

Multiple Choice

This assessment option is suggested for a discrepancy in the child’s ability to receive and process information.

• Occupational Therapy Evaluation

• Short Term Memory Evaluation

• Perceptual Evaluation

• Academic Achievement Evaluation

Multiple Choice

Occupational Therapy is an appropriate assessment option for when the child is exhibiting problems in upper-body functions/fine motor development.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Physical Therapy is an appropriate assessment option for when the child is exhibiting problems with posture, gait, and end.

• True

• False

Parent Participation

Parent participation is a crucial part of an
evaluation. Once a student is referred to the
MDT, the parent should be called in to “provide
pertinent background information”.

● Parents can and may act as advocates for
their child.

○ Request an evaluation; advocate for
comprehensive evaluation; share
background information, prior school
records, cultural differences.

● Parents may wish to talk to the
professional(s) responsible for conducting
the evaluation to find out what the
evaluation will involve.

● May suggest specific questions to the
MDT they would like to see addressed
through assessment.

● Parents may prepare their child for the
assessment process.

Parent Intake Interview

Parent intakes and interviews are a gathering of
pertinent information from a parent.

● Provides the perspective of academic,
social, emotional, and family history of a
child.

● Parents should feel comfortable and at
ease when completing the parent intake
interview.

● Sit around a table versus from behind a
desk.

● Offer refreshments or notepad to take
notes.

● Evaluators should listen to “venting”
parents may exhibit.

● Parents should be reassured that no
recommendations will be made without
their participation and permission.

● Parents should be reassured that the
evaluation is looking for ways to help
their child.

Goals of Parent Intake

Should be done with sensitivity and
diplomacy. Some questions may feel
intrusive by parents.

1.

Identifying data and family information

2.

Developmental history

3.

Academic history

4.

Social history

How are these two forms
similar?

How are they different?

Do they have all of the
pertinent information?

Confidentiality

Information collected through assessment automatically becomes part of
a child’s school record.

● Parents and students (over 18) should be informed of their right
to privacy.

○ Who has access to the information?

○ How to challenge records if they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise
inappropriate.

● Refrain from discussing evaluation and performance with people
not directly involved in the evaluation.

Q&A:

Resources:

Pierangelo, R., & Giuliani, G. A. (2017). Assessment in special education : a
practical approach. Pearson.