Questions about the Screening Process
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Screening is an important activity that is carried out in various ways across the state of Kansas. The Local Education Agency (LEA) is responsible for implementing screening activities to identify children (birth through 21) who may need special education. Screening involves the initial collection of information about a child to help determine if further testing is needed, and if so, in what developmental areas. Since screening information alone cannot be used to determine eligibility or placement in special education, the LEA has some wiggle room in how it conducts screening activities and who it allows to conduct them. The standard for screening is not set as high as it is for formal evaluation activities. Given the differences in how LEA’s collect screening information, the KITS project often receives pleas for clarification. What follows is an attempt to answer some of those questions.

1. Should the LEA use a certain screening tool or method?

2. Who is allowed to conduct early childhood screenings? Are certain credentials required?

3. Should the LEA screen a child who is transitioning from the Infant Toddler Program (Part C) into the Preschool Program (Part B)?

4. Why is the government so lax concerning what and who can collect screening information?

5. Should the LEA accept anything as screening information?

—written by Misty D. Goosen, Ed.S., KITS Project Coordinator
Taken from the Kansas Inservice Training System Newsletter, Fall 2004, with author’s permission.

Should the LEA use a certain screening tool or method?

No. State regulations do not identify specific tools or methods to be used in screening activities. However, state regulations specify that screening procedures used must meet certain requirements:

K.A.R. 91-40-7. Child find. (b) Each board’s policies and procedures under this regulation shall include age-appropriate screening procedures that meet the following requirements:

(1) For children younger than five years of age, observations, instruments, measures, and techniques that disclose any potential disabilities or developmental delays that indicate a need for evaluation, including hearing and  vision screening;

(2) for children from ages five through 21, observations, instruments, measures, and techniques that disclose any potential exceptionality and indicate a need for evaluation, including hearing and vision screening as required by state law; and

(3) implementation of procedures ensuring the early identification and  assessment of disabilities in children.

Who is allowed to conduct early childhood screenings? Are certain credentials required?

Kansas and Federal regulations do not require specific credentials for individuals who are involved in the screening process. There is no mention regarding specified credentials for screening in either the state or federal regulations.  However, this issue is briefly addressed in the evaluation section under, “who is allowed to test”:

K.A.R. 91-40-9. Evaluation procedures. (a) If tests or other assessment instruments are used as a part of the evaluation or reevaluation of an exceptional child, the agency shall ensure that the following requirements are met:

(4) Any standardized tests that are given to a child shall meet the following criteria:

(A) Have been validated for the specific purpose for which they are used; and

(B) be administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of the tests.

In other words, any time a formal standardized test, including a standardized screening instrument is used, it must be administered by someone who is trained and knowledgeable of that instrument in accordance with the procedures of the tests. Some standardized screening tests require minimum training, others require more. In general, screening instruments do not need the same level of extensive training as formal diagnostic tests (some of these measures require specific degrees, such as a school psychology degree). Training for screening instruments can often be done “in-house” by other staff experienced with these instruments.

The following example illustrates how someone may or may not be qualified in administering a standardized screening instrument: 

If a person has not been trained in administering the DIAL-3, that person would not be qualified to give that screening instrument. If a person is trained by LEA staff, or other qualified personnel in accordance with the producer of the DIAL-3, they would be qualified to administer the test. Regardless of professional status, a person would be qualified to administer screening tools as long as they have been appropriately trained in that tool or method.

It is important to remember, standardized instruments are not the only means of collecting screening information. The LEA can use information from the family doctor, local health department, or others who routinely collect information that suggests the child might be at risk for having a disability. Such information can be used in lieu of formalized screening information collected by the LEA.

Should the LEA screen a child who is transitioning from the Infant Toddler Program (Part C) into the Preschool Program (Part B)?

No. A child who has been receiving services from Infant Toddler Services (Part C) is already known to be a child who is at risk for having a disability. Children transitioning into the Preschool Program (Part B) must undergo an initial  evaluation to determine if the child is eligible and in need of special education and related services. Local programs (both Part C and Part B) may determine how much Part C information will be used for this initial evaluation.

Why is the government so lax concerning what and who can collect screening information?

The purpose of screening is to determine if more testing is necessary. It is not used to make a formal life changing decision. By allowing the LEA to collect and use screening information from a variety of sources, children can get through the evaluation process much more quickly and receive special education in a timely manner. Allowing appropriately trained non-professionals to participate in collecting screening information, the LEA will free up valuable time for the trained professional staff to concentrate more heavily in the formal evaluation process where they are needed most.

Should the LEA accept anything as screening information?

No. Screening information is important. It sets the stage for future evaluations, and keeps the district from conducting unnecessary evaluations. There should be a fairly high correlation between children who fail screening and those who go on to qualify for special education services. So if an LEA routinely accepts screening information from a collaborative partner and high numbers of these children do not go on to qualify for special education services, the LEA and the collaborative partner may need to reevaluate the screening procedure. The LEA may ask the collaborative partner to add to or change the screening process in order to get a higher correlation between children who fail the screening and those who qualify for special education. While the correlation between screening and evaluation should be relatively high, there should not be an exact match. To be effective, the screening process should “over identify” some children (false positive). There should be a handful of children who fail the screening and later are found to be typically developing and not eligible for services. The ideal correlation between screening and assessment should be around 85 to 90 percent. If 50 out of 100 kids fail the screening and later do not qualify for special education then the screening process is not stringent enough and is therefore inefficient. If 10 to 15 out of 100 kids fail the screening and later do not qualify for special education, the screening process is over identifying the correct number of children. If only 2 out of 100 kids fail the screening and later do not qualify for special education, then the screening instruments are too intensive. In this example there is a high probability that some children were found to be typically developing during the screening, when in fact they may actually have a disability (false negative). The results of false negatives are more serious than false positives, which is why the screening process is better if it over identifies a small number of children for further evaluation. Overall, screening tools and methods should be reliable, valid, inexpensive, quick and easy to administer. They should over identify a small portion of children who later go on for a more formal evaluation and are found to be typically developing. However, screening should be stringent enough to keep the LEA from doing large numbers of unnecessary evaluations. Screening information can come from a variety of sources, and those conducting screenings must be appropriately trained. LEA’s may find it beneficial to talk with their collaborative partners about specific tools and methods, to ensure a good match between the screening process and the evaluation process exists.

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Common Questions about Hearing Screening
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1. Does failing the hearing screening mean that my student can’t hear?

2. What do the hearing screening results mean if my student has seen an audiologist?

3. What does it mean if my student is referred for further testing?

4. If the results say that the needs to be rescreened or monitored, does anything else need to be done?

5. How often are the hearing screenings done?

6. How does the hearing screening technician know who to screen?

7. What is done with information received from parents?

Does failing the hearing screening mean that my student can’t hear?

No, it doesn’t mean that the student can’t hear.  It simply means that either another screening is needed, or that the child needs to be monitored to make sure that the child’s hearing is adequate for learning.  A child’s hearing may fluctuate up and down during the year, possibly due to colds, ear infections, etc.

What do the hearing screening results mean if the student has seen an audiologist?

If the student is being seen routinely by an audiologist, then the information from the hearing screening should be shared with the audiologist, but the child may not need another hearing evaluation unless recommended by the audiologist.  The hearing screening information is much more basic than an evaluation done by the audiologist.  Much less information is obtained and is only used to refer to the audiologist.  The audiology report contains more detailed information than the hearing screening.  If the parents have a report from the audiologist, it would be helpful to share that information with the school so that it can be considered when making decisions about hearing in the classroom.

What does it mean if my student is referred for further testing?

If the student has been referred, the parents should discuss with the family doctor whether or not the doctor feels that the student needs to go to an audiologist.  If the doctor agrees that going to the audiologist is needed, then the parents need to make the appointment and take the child.  If possible the results from that hearing test should be shared with the school to be put in the child’s cumulative file.  It would also be a good idea to let the teacher know this information. 

If the results say that my student needs to be rescreened or monitored, does anything else need to be done?

The school will be rescreening and monitoring the children.  The rescreens will be done by the hearing screening technician.  The building level team will need to monitor the child.  The team should discuss the level of loss and whether the loss is consistent from year to year.  The team should also discuss any concerns noted during interactions with the student and whether there are any implications regarding the student’s education.  If the parents have any concerns regarding any difficulties they may have noticed with hearing at home, that information should be shared with your family physician and the child’s teacher.  Also, if the child has been to an audiologist in the last year, it would be helpful to have the parents send the results to the school.  The building team should then consider the audiologist information when discussing the student’s hearing. 

How often are the hearing screenings done?

The screenings are done every year for children in Preschool through 2nd grade.  Then the screenings are done every three years.  This means that the students are screened in 5th, 8th and 11th grades.  New students need to be done the year they enter a school.  A student can also have their hearing screened if the team/teacher has a concern.

How does the hearing screening technician know who to screen?

The children who are screened will be done based on a list given to the technician.  It is preferred that a list be provided on the day of the screening, as that way it will be the most up to date.  The list will need to include the students in the appropriate grades, special education students, new students and a list of any students that teams have concerns about.   

What is done with information received from parents?

Information provided from parents regarding follow ups to the hearing screening should be included in their cumulative file and also be shared with the nurse and building team.

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