Washington Township

Who is on the Child Study Team?

Child Study Team – Consist of a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher/consultant, school social worker,
and when needed, a speech-language specialist, responsible for conducting evaluations to determine eligibility for special
education and related services for students with disabilities.

School Social Workers - The social worker’s primary responsibility is as a member of the Child Study Team. As such,
the social worker contributes to the CST evaluation process by conducting a “social history evaluation.” The social history
evaluation is an assessment of biopsychosocial factors (social, emotional, physical, behavioral, and cultural) that may
impact a child’s adjustment to and performance in school. The school social worker also provides counseling, crisis
intervention and consultation services, as well as helping families’ access community services.

Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant - The Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant is a teacher who
functions in the school environment as an educational diagnostician, instructional programmer, Child Study Team
member, educational consultant, and instructional leader. The LDT/C must have the professional preparation to make
assessments, analyses, and classifications of students’ learning differences; understand and implement special education
law; plan and facilitate delivery of programs for children with learning differences; transfer specific and successful
instructional techniques to classroom teachers through consultation, collaboration, and in-service education; and
effectively communicate and consult with parents, counselors, teachers, and administrators. An educational assessment
shall be the responsibility of a learning disabilities teacher/consultant. It shall include review of the student’s educational
history, conferences with the student’s teacher(s), and an evaluation and analysis of the student’s academic performance
and learning characteristics.

School Psychologist - The school psychologist consults with the student’s teachers and assesses the student’s
current cognitive (thinking and learning), adaptive, and emotional status. The activities involved in the evaluation vary at
times from student to student but, in general, most children are given an intelligence test. For certain students the school
psychologist provides counseling, crisis intervention or consultation services.

Case Manager - In addition to their respective roles, the social worker, school psychologist, and learning consultant
also serve as case managers for students receiving special education services. Students are assigned a case manager at
the time of the referral, however, periodically there are changes in assignments. The case manager coordinates the
evaluation process and IEP development, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the IEP. The case
manager facilitates communication between home and school and coordinates the annual review and reevaluation
process. The case manager is knowledgeable about the student’s educational needs and program, as well as special
education procedures and procedural safeguards, and is responsible for transition planning. A speech/language specialist
may also serve as a case manager.

Speech-Language Specialist – The Speech-Language Specialist serves as a case manager for all students referred
for a suspected voice, articulation, or fluency disorder, and for some students with a suspected language disorder. The
case manager coordinates the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the IEP, as well as the
annual review and reevaluation process.