When I get a referral that says, "Johnny cannot read and is not working up to grade level", with no more information than that, I do standard battery of tests. Then, when I learn later in conversation with that same teacher that Johnny can't sit still, or Johnny can't attend for anymore than two minutes, or Johnny has missed X number of days of school, or Johnny recently lost an uncle, I realize that perhaps I used wrong test.

If I had known this information first, I might have given a different test, perhaps one for Attention Deficit Disorder. So I have to go back and do that test afterwards. That information also affects HOW I give test. Perhaps I could have given it in shorter time spans.

My friend had some excellent points. The more specific information you can give, better it is for child. Testing is difficult enough on any child, but when person doing testing doesn't have right information, or not enough information, it can make testing more difficult.

I always found it helpful when teachers would show me as evaluator, any concrete illustrations of child's problems, such as written work that shows how he spells, or documentation of specific instances of difficulty in classroom, like his trouble with being able to copy information from board. I realize that teachers have a tremendous work load, but any specific information you can give about that child will help child not just on testing, but in future as well. And, after all, isn't that student's success in life what education's all about?

For more plain talk about learning disabilities, please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.

Does he have a learning disability? Should his teacher refer him for testing?

Do either of these scenarios sound familiar? The decision regarding whether to refer a child for testing can sometimes be a difficult one to make. There are many factors to consider, not least of which is whether child perceives a stigma attached to testing.

As a teacher of students with learning disabilities, teachers often consulted with me when they questioned whether or not to test. After looking at all facts, if there was still any doubt, I would tell them that I would rather err on side of caution. If child is not found to have a learning disability, at least we will discover his learning styles and how best to help him with his problem. If his does have a learning disability, we can proceed to get him special help he needs to be more successful in school. Either way, he wins.

And who can question a win-win situation?

For more plain talk about learning disabilities, please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.