OAR 581-015-2170: Specific Learning Disability

(1) Definition of “Specific Learning Disability”: For early childhood and school age special education, “Specific Learning Disability” means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations. Specific learning disability includes conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, dyslexia, minimal brain dysfunction, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visualor motor disabilities, deaf or hard of hearing, intellectual disability, emotional behavior disability, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. (2) Comprehensive Evaluation: If a child is suspected of having a specific learning disability, a comprehensive evaluation must be conducted for early childhood or school age special education services, including the following: (a) Academic assessment. An assessment of the child's academic achievement toward Oregon grade-level standards; (b) Review. A review of cumulative records, previous IEPs or IFSPs and teacher collected work samples; (c) Observation. An observation of the child in the child's learning environment (including the regular classroom setting) to document the child's academic performance and behavior in the areas of difficulty, which must consist of: (A) Information from an observation by a qualified professional in routine classroom instruction and monitoring of the child's performance before the child was referred for an evaluation; or (B) An observation conducted by a qualified professional (who is a member of the evaluation team) of the child's academic performance in a regular classroom after the child has been referred for an evaluation and parent consent obtained; or (C) For a child who is less than school age or out of school, an observation in an age-appropriate environment. (d) Progress monitoring data, including: (A) Data that demonstrate that before, or as part of, the referral process, the child was provided appropriate instruction in regular education settings, delivered by qualified personnel; and (B) Data-based documentation of repeated assessments of achievement at reasonable intervals, reflecting formal assessment of student progress that is directly linked to instruction. (e) For a student evaluated using a response to intervention model as part of a comprehensive evaluation process to determine if the child has a specific learning disability, the evaluation must include documentation of: (A) The type, intensity, and duration of scientific, research-based instructional intervention(s) provided in accordance with the district's response to intervention model; (B) The student's rate of progress during the instructional intervention(s); (C) A comparison of the student's rate of progress to expected rates of progress. (D) Progress monitoring on a schedule that: (i) Allows a comparison of the student's progress to the performance of peers; (ii) Is appropriate to the student's age and grade placement; (iii) Is appropriate to the content monitored; and (iv) Allows for interpretation of the effectiveness of intervention. (f) For a student evaluated using a model that is based on the student's strengths and weaknesses, the evaluation must include an assessment of the student's strengths and weaknesses in classroom performance and academic achievement, relative to age, Oregon grade-level standards, or intellectual development. (g) Other: (A) If needed, a developmental history; (B) If needed, an assessment of cognition, fine motor, perceptual motor, communication, social or emotional, and perception or memory if the child exhibits impairment in one or more these areas; (C) If needed, a medical statement or health assessment indicating whether there are any physical factors that may be affecting the child's educational performance; and (D) Any other assessments required to determine the impact of the suspected disability: (i) On the child's educational performance for a school-age child; or (ii) On the child's developmental progress for a preschool child. (3) Eligibility Team: For consideration of eligibility in the area of specific learning disabilities, the eligibility team must include: (a) A group of qualified professionals and the parent; (b) The child's regular classroom teacher or, if the child does not have a regular classroom teacher, a regular classroom teacher qualified to teach a child of his or her age, or, for a child of less than school age, a preschool teacher; and (c) A person qualified to conduct individual diagnostic examinations of children, such as a school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, or other qualified professional. (4) Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible as a child with a specific learning disability for early childhood or school age special education services, the child must meet all of the minimum criteria: (a) The child does not achieve adequately for the child's age or to meet Oregon grade-level standards in one or more of the following areas when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child's age or Oregon grade-level standards: (A) Basic reading skills: (B) Reading fluency skills; (C) Reading comprehension; (D) Mathematics calculation; (E) Mathematics problem-solving; (F) Written Expression; (G) Oral expression; or (H) Listening comprehension. (b) For a student evaluated using a response to intervention model, in relation to one or more of the areas in subsection (3)(a), the student does not make sufficient progress to meet age or Oregon grade-level standards based on the student's response to scientific, research-based intervention. (c) For a student evaluated using a model that is based on the student's strengths and weaknesses, in relation to one or more of the areas in subsection (3)(a), the student exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses in classroom performance, academic achievement, or both, relative to age, Oregon grade-level standards, or intellectual development, that is determined by the group to be relevant to the identification of a specific learning disability. (d) The child's rate of progress in subsection (3)(b) or pattern of strengths and weaknesses in subsection (3)(c) is not primarily the result of: (A) A visual, or motor impairment; deaf or hard of hearing; intellectual disability or emotional behavior disability; (B) Cultural factors; (C) Environmental or economic disadvantage; or (D) Limited English proficiency. (5) Eligibility Determination: For a child to be eligible for early childhood or school age special education services as a child with a specific learning disability, the eligibility team must also determine that: (a) The child has a specific learning disability as defined in this rule; and (b) By reason thereof, the child requires early childhood special education (OAR 581-015-2795) or school age special education (OAR 581-015-2120) services. (6) Eligibility Report: The eligibility team must prepare an evaluation report and written statement of eligibility documenting its findings, including: (a) The evaluation data considered in determining the child's eligibility; (b) A determination of whether the child meets the minimum criteria for a specific learning disability; (c) The relevant behavior, if any, noted during the observation of the child and the relationship of that behavior to the child's academic functioning; (d) The educationally relevant medical findings, if any; (e) If the child participated in a response to intervention process, documentation that the parents were notified in a timely manner about: the state's policies regarding the amount and nature of student performance data that would be collected, and the general education services that would be provided, as part of the response to intervention process; strategies for increasing the child's rate of learning; and the parent's right to request an evaluation. (f) The determination of the team concerning the effects of a visual, or motor disability; deaf or hard of hearing; intellectual disability; emotional behavior disability; cultural factors; environmental or economic disadvantage; or limited English proficiency on the child's achievement level; and (g) A determination of whether the primary basis for the suspected disability is: (A) A lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math; or (B) Limited English proficiency; (h) A determination of whether the child's disability has an adverse impact on the child's educational performance; (i) A determination of whether, as a result of the disability, the child needs special education services; and (j) The signature of each member of the team indicating agreement or disagreement with the eligibility determination.