Identifying Students with Learning Disabilities

One of the most frequently-accessed publications in our library is the Colorado Department of Education’s Guidelines for Identifying Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. This publication helps teachers and parents understand the processes of identification and how they work with state and federal laws. The guidebook discusses an approach that “provides interventions as part of a problem-solving process at the earliest indication of need.” Information on how special education and general education can collaborate is included in the guidelines. Referral and evaluation, response to intervention (RtI), and areas of specific disability — such as oral, written, listening comprehension, reading, or mathematical — are also discussed. This is an essential resource for Colorado educators, administrators, and anyone working with schoolchildren with disabilities.