Strategies to Consider Before a Preschool Special Education Referral

A preschool referral for special education evaluation is a pivotal moment in a child’s life. Ideally, it unlocks important services for a young student with learning disabilities. There’s a risk, though, of incorrectly identifying a child who does not have a learning disability.

While most referrals are well-intentioned, implicit bias plays a role in who gets referred, who is evaluated, and who gets diagnosed. For example, Black students are disproportionately overrepresented in several special education categories, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Research has also documented the persistent underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted and talented programs.

As a special education administrator with more than 25 years of experience in special education and early childhood, I tell preschool teachers that referral disparities are not resolved by lowering expectations or ignoring developmental needs. I encourage educators to first attempt culturally relevant observations and other proactive practices, then consider making a referral. Those observations and practices are listed below.

Reflect on Your Own Biases

Implicit bias occurs outside of our conscious awareness, which makes it difficult to identify. Honest assessment about your biases is a good first step. Don’t assign blame: Everyone holds biases, which develop through socialization, exposure to different types of media, and our own experiences.

When I talk to preschool teachers about bias, I suggest they consider reflective questions such as these:

• Do I have different expectations for children from different demographic groups?
• Do I interpret the same behavior as positive or negative depending on the student’s race, ethnicity, or language?
• Am I more prone to interpret children from other socioeconomic statuses as being disruptive?

Implement Universal Design for Learning

A student struggling with a single teaching style, assessment style, or instructional strategy is more susceptible to misidentification than a student who’s afforded several different strategies. One way to facilitate a that is to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

UDL provides multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement. A teacher using UDL may present information in different formats—visual aids, for instance—rather than only providing oral directions, which can be challenging for multilingual learners and other students. Similarly, UDL allows children to demonstrate knowledge through drawing, speaking, or building. If a child comprehends a concept but struggles to communicate their understanding in the prescribed manner, an alternative method is warranted.

Build Relationships With Families

A family knows their child better than anyone else. In too many cases, I’ve found that referral processes are top-down, and families express that they feel out of the loop. When communicating with families, teachers should be mindful not to employ language that’s difficult to follow outside of professional learning communities. Nor should teachers make assumptions about family dynamics. Curiosity and insightful questions go a long way in developing positive relationships with families. Teachers should ask the following:

• How does your child behave at home? Are they talkative? Quiet?
• How does your child talk to adults?
• How does your child accept corrections?
• Are there any behaviors or actions that concern you?
• Are there any cultural or linguistic practices in your family that could help me better understand your child’s actions?
• What are their interests?
• What are their talents?

These inquiries can be extremely clarifying, especially when a student is revealed to have much more (or much less) energy at school. Is this typical childhood behavior related to the school setting, rather than something that requires a diagnosis? Is it possible that the student is actually uncomfortable or anxious in a school setting? Through family collaboration, teachers can gain more information and possibly discern between a temporary issue and a developmental delay.

Observe Students’ Behavior With Cultural Sensitivity and Ample Notes

Behavior is a form of communication. Different cultures have different behavioral expectations and expressions. For example, in some cultures, it’s respectful to look a person directly in the eyes; in other cultures, you’re not supposed to look directly into the eyes of someone you perceive to be in authority. A teacher who isn’t aware of these cultural differences could interpret a child’s lack of eye contact as being shy or not paying attention.

Teachers can learn about a student’s culture and first language—and avoid asking families inappropriate or intrusive questions—with the help of credible sources like the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Center for Cultural Competence.

Another way for teachers to make fair and factually accurate behavioral observations is to collect objective data instead of relying on subjective descriptions such as “disruptive,” “not ready,” or “does not listen.” Teachers can use Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) notes, frequency counts, duration measures, and work samples to better understand a child’s behavior and learning needs.

For example, instead of documenting that a child was “disruptive” during circle time, a teacher might record what happened immediately before the behavior, the specific behavior observed, and what followed. A frequency count documents how often the child left the carpet during a 15-minute activity, while work samples demonstrate the child’s ability to complete tasks with different types of instructional support. Each form of documentation distinguishes between a child’s actual skills and the demands of the classroom environment.

Implement a More Equitable Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Before a special education referral, there should be proof that efforts were made to meet a student’s classroom needs. This is done by implementing a “response to intervention,” or a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

Recently, though, researchers have cautioned that MTSS is not inherently equitable and may reproduce racial and cultural disparities in implementation and student experiences. There are a number of ways to ensure that MTSS data is ultimately incorporated equitably. Educators should be prepared to document an intervention for an extended period of time. If they’re tracking the use of a “first-then board,” for instance, they should do so for several weeks, not once or twice. They should also track a student’s responses to those interventions, instead of simply documenting areas of difficulty.

An example of effective documentation might look something like this: “For six weeks, the teacher provided visual directions, modeled classroom routines, used a first-then board, and provided one-step directions during transitions. Supports were implemented consistently four days per week. The child initially required adult prompting to transition and was able to transition independently approximately 20 percent of the time. After the supports were adjusted and implemented for an additional four weeks, independent transitions increased to approximately 45 percent, but the child continues to require significant adult support compared with classroom peers.”

Lastly, referral decisions should involve collaborative consultation with special educators, related service providers, school psychologists, administrators, and multidisciplinary teams, as appropriate. Drawing on multiple perspectives helps ensure that decisions are not based solely on one educator’s interpretation of a child’s difficulties. During this process, educators should engage in critical reflexivity. Ask intentional questions:

• “What evidence supports my concern?”
• “What other explanations should I consider before referring this child?”
• “Have I provided equitable access to culturally and linguistically responsive, rigorous, and high-quality instruction?”

Reflexivity encourages teams to remain focused on a child’s strengths and needs while ensuring that referral decisions are informed by comprehensive evidence, collaborative perspectives, and a commitment to equitable educational opportunities.