Communication Written Report Summary Components

REASON FOR REFERRAL: Should state child’s name, referring person, and primary concern for which child was referred as well as response to interventions. (e.g. John Doe was referred for a complete speech language evaluation by his teacher because she was concerned about his difficulty expressing his thoughts clearly and his immature expressive language. Language interventions completed in the classroom focusing on sequencing (50%) and sentence formulation (62%) did not improve John’s performance to a significant degree.)

DIAGNOSIS: Statement of severity and type of disability. Include current information from outside agency reports, if available. (e.g. Results of standardized and non-standardized assessment indicate a moderate expressive language disorder.)

STATEMENT OF STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESSES: (e.g. John demonstrated average listening and comprehension skills with particular strengths in picture vocabulary, auditory discrimination, and appropriate use of word endings. Relative weaknesses ere noted in naming vocabulary, word finding , and use of basic concept words. Significant deficits were noted in formulation of complex sentences, sequencing of ideas verbally and in writing and story retelling).

DESCRIPTION OF TEST BEHAVIOR AND RELIABIITY OF RESULTS: (e.g. John was cooperative during the testing situation and the results of the assessment are felt to be an accurate estimate of his language abilities.)

SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS: Should include a statement of confirmation or denial of test results as well as impact on classroom performance. (e.g. Classroom observations, work samples, and teacher interview confirm the presence of an expressive language disorder that negatively affects John’s ability to participate effectively in classroom discussions, express ideas verbally, and to use language to facilitate problem-solving.)