NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
ERIC Number: ED216037
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Feb-20
Pages: 285
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Evaluation of the Identification of Perceptual-Communicative Disorders in Colorado. Final Report.
Shepard, Lorrie; Smith, Mary Lee
This study evaluated the procedures and results of the identification of children with Perceptual-Communicative Disorders (PCD) in Colorado. The process of identification includes referral, assessment, staffing and placement. The number of children identified as PCD by current procedures is large and growing. Variations in the prevalence of PCD among units and across years suggest the existence of local patterns in identification, and reflect the fact that PCD is an ambiguous diagnosis. Colorado's definition of PCD is conceptually similar to the federal definition of specific learning disabilities, characterized by a significant discrepancy between ability and achievement, attribution of the cause of the discrepancy to a processing disorder, and exclusion of other causes for poor achievement. During assessment, the typical child is given 6.6 tests plus several informal assessments by an average of 7.6 professionals. Of the 18 most frequently used tests, only five are adequate. Between 59 percent and 74 percent of pupils identified as PCD do not match the legal definitions. These identification procedures do satisfy state and federal requirements, but it costs almost as much to identify a child as PCD as it does to treat him or her for a year. (Author/BW)
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Colorado Univ., Boulder. Lab. of Educational Research.
Identifiers - Location: Colorado
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A