The Multidiciplinary Team for

Assessment of Children with

Special Needs
What is Multidisciplinary
Team?
 Is responsible for the assessment of children with
special needs.

 A Mulidisciplinary team approach,including the

integration of values,perspective, and ideas gives an
accurate decision-making process in identifying the
academic,social,and vocational needs of the child to
develop an individualized educational program that
will meet the needs of the student with disability.The
team functions to support students in the Special
Education and related services.Members would share
responsibility and have to maintain an open
communication in the form of collaboration.
In assessing a child with special
needs,the major functions of the
team are:
1.To determine if the student has a disability and would require special
Education services.
2.To plan and evaluate educational experiences of students who have
been diagnosed to be in need of Special Education services ;and
3.To develop an action plan that would meet the needs of the child
with disability bin terms of education ,social,and vocation, in the
inclusion process which indicates that the child with disability will not
placed in Special Needs to develop and individualized educational
program to address the needs
The Basic multidisciplinary team
activities includes
1.Evaluating student who are experiencing difficulty in the regular class
upon referrral or student who are in need of Special Education upon
entering the educational system;
2.Developing strategies that may used as intervention in the regular class
for those students who will benefit most from regular education while
providing modifications to suit their needs;
3.Initiating the process of assessment for students who are suspected to
have disability;
4.Reviewing existing information and student assessment data that will be
used as the bases for developing an individualized educational programs
for the students;
5.Deciding on the appropriate placement for the
student,educationally,socially,and vocationally;and
6.Acting as asupport system for educators who will be serving students
with disabilities.
Members of the
Multidisciplinary Assessment
Team
1.Administrators
Whether it is the administrators,principal,or assisstant
principal,each one is an essential member of the team.The
administrators should have the know-how of specific
reources and the expertise within the school.
Furthermore,administrators
are qualified to supervise the programs and can commit
necessary resources.
Specific responsibilities of administrators in the assessment
process are:
a. Conducting administrative arrangement for team meetings.This includes
scheduling the date,time,and place of meetings;
b. Organizig an agenda for the meeting with the assessment team;
c. Identifying experts and appropriate personnel and inviting them to the
meeting;
d. Inviting th parents of both the child with special needs and regular students
to the meeting;
e. Acting as the chair during the meetings or appointing qualified personnel;
f. Ensuring that each person has the knowlege on what action the team
recommends, the person responsible for implementation,
and the resources needed to support implementation effectively;
g. Ensuring administrative supports of the team to all members of the school
community;
h. Promoting resources to secure the needed technical assistance;
i. Identifying the needed topics for in-service and developmental training
2.Regular Education
Teachers
The Regular Education teacher and the special Education
teacher should have equal responsibility to all children in
the classroom,whether the child is regular or diagnosed
under certain condition.The Regular Education teachers
role concerns the presentation of subject matter in the
classroom and is primarily in a charge of instruction in the
classroom.
In assessing children with special needs,it is the
general role of the Regular Education teacher to
accomplish the following
a.Maintain appropriate communication between the schools and
home.The teacher should keep parents informed about their child’s
educational achievement,grades,and educational programs;
b.Help develop,review,and revise the Individualized Educational
Program(IEP)of the child;
c.Determine appropriate behavioral interventions and strategies
considered positive for the students;
d.Assess determined supplementary aids and services and program
modifications for the students;and
e.Identify supports that school personnel need to help the student
progress in the general curriculum
3.Special Educational
Teachers
The roles of the Special Education teachers are to
individualized,diagnose,and modify curriculum.A typical
Special Education teacher would teach students with
disabilities in self-contained classess.
To be effective,the roles of the
Special Education teacher in
schools include the following

a.Provides assessment and instructional planning for the student

with disability;
b.Conducts tutorial instruction and remedial classes among students
with sub-par performance;
c.Provides consultation to the Regular Class teacher as part of team
teaching;
d.Participates as a members in the school’s assessment and
eligibility committee;
e.Examines ways nof integrating students in Special Education to all
aspects of the school’s program which includes extracurricular
activities;and
f.Offers suggestions for modifying instruction,consults with the
regular Education teacher, and identifies resources,alternative
learning materials, and assisstive devices that will be of benefit to
the child with disability(as part of the multidisciplinary).
Both the Special Education teachers
can help parents in the following
ways:
a.Learn useful information about the student from the parents;
b.Explain the process and terms of the disability and the IEP
c.Help the parents during IEP process,ensuring that their ideas
ideas,concerns,and views are adequately expressed and heard;
d.Furnish parents with narrative reports and suggestions on how to
effectively work with their child at home;
e.Help the student and the parents in planning the students’s/future
after leaving the school;and
f.Advocate through representation of interest,preferences,and rights of
the student or parents
4.Students

Students are encouraged to be active participants in their

own IEP process.Priority is set in teaching self-
determination skills and how to set their own life gals and
objectivess.
5.School Psychologist

The school psychologist may assume the following

responsibilities:
a.Complete thorough assessment to determine if the child
is suited for special programs and services
b.Provide interpretation and analysis of assessment data
for parents and other team members;
c.Participate inthe identification of curricula modification
and instructional intervention which are deemed
appropriate to the identified needs of the pupils;and
d.Conduct follow-up observations to extablish the success
of modifications and interventions
6.Related Service Personnel

Related Support people will assist the Regular Education

and Special Education teachers include:
a.Speech/Language Therapists
The speech/language therapist plays a critical role in
assessing ,and treating patients who have
speech,language,and communication disorders
b.Occupational Therapist
After physical assessment,an occupational therapist
assists a child with disability in developing and regaining
skills important to functions independently and develop
health and well being.The occupational therapist aims
toimprove or maintain the abilityof the child.
C.Physical Therapist

A physical therapist assesses each individual and devices a

plan using different treatment techniques to promote the
ability to move,reduce pain,restore functions, and prevent
further disability.
d.Vision Specialists
A vision specialist or usually termed as teacher of the
visually impaired,is a teacher who hold a special
credential.A vision specialist is trained to work with
visually impaired students from preschool through latter
grades.
D.Dieticians

After the result of assessment, a dietician plans nutrition programs and

food programs for the child with disability. He helps prevent other
diseases and obesity problems because they educate their clients about
the role of food in their diet. He usually promotes healthy diet through
education and education programs.
E.Guidance Counselors

The main role of a guidance counselor is to aid clients with their

adjustment to some circumstances in their life, utilizing counselling
techniques in personal, educational, and vocational counselling.