Request for AALRC Funding for WAIS-IV Evaluation Forml

Request for AALRC Funding for WAIS-IV Evaluation formL Learning Disabilities Diagnosis Referral Process for GED Accommodations Not all individuals can be fairly tested under standard administrations of the regular print GED Tests. In such cases, accommodations to standard testing may be arranged for students with documented disabilities: physical, emotional/mental, ADHD or learning. There is an accommodation request procedure and certifying form, which must be processed before a request may be granted. This form is available from all Arkansas GED Examiners. For more information about GED accommodations, go to http://ace.arkansas.gov/adultEducation/programs/GED/Pages/default.aspx. To download a copy of the form, go to http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/test/take/Accomm_Re quest_Form_LCD.pdf. If a student requires new or updated documentation of a learning disability, the AALRC Disabilities Project Manager can assist local programs in making an appropriate referral for diagnosis. There are several options available, and each case will be considered on an individual basis based on specific student information: If the student has existing documentation of a learning disability that has been completed within the last five (5) years, the local program can request a copy of the documentation from the school or clinic that completed the diagnosis. The request must be made in writing, preferably using a Release of Confidential Information form printed on the program's letterhead paper. A sample release form may be copied for program use from the LD Policy Manual at http://aalrc.org/resources/ld/policyManual/appendixC.pdf. If the student has NO existing documentation of a learning disability, and if the student DOES NOT have a job, the local program should refer the student to the local Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) agency program to determine eligibility for services. The purpose of ARS is to help people with disabilities become employed and the LD diagnosis is part of their intake process. However, if the student has no desire to get a job, please do not refer them to ARS. The Commissioner of ARS has authorized the referral of adult education and literacy students to ARS for diagnosis of learning disabilities. For students who are working towards getting their GED diploma, the diagnosis will 1 4/6/2018 include the WAIS-IV test, required by the national GED Testing Service in Washington DC to request accommodations for a learning disability. Students who are referred to ARS MUST:  be unemployed and seeking employment;  indicate a possible learning disability as a result of a screening process at the local adult education or literacy center; and  complete the Woodcock-Johnson III achievement test before ARS conducts any testing. When the student is referred to ARS, they must take the following to their initial meeting with the ARS counselor:  any completed screening information that indicates the possibility of a learning disability; e.g., TABE or Practice Test scores both with and without accommodations applied;  a confidential release of information form, signed by the student, that authorizes you to share the screening results with the ARS psychologist;  a copy of the official GED Accommodation Request for Testing Accommodations, Learning and Other Cognitive Disabilities (LCD), available at http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/test/take/Accom m_Request_Form_LCD.pdf, along with the Woodcock-Johnson scores recorded and signed by the person who administered that test; and  a letter (on your program's letterhead) requesting the diagnosis. Please indicate that the psychologist should complete Section 3 on the LCD form. Also, include your contact information in case the psychologist has any questions. This authorization is the result of increased collaboration between adult education and literacy programs and ARS, and represents an enormous system change for Arkansas service providers. If the student DOES HAVE a job, and DOES HAVE financial resources to pay for diagnosis, then the program may assist the student in choosing a clinic or private psychologist to conduct the LD evaluation. The average cost of an LD diagnosis is $500-$800. Many students who are employed will have insurance that covers all or most of this cost, but they may not be aware of that coverage prior to investigation. Local mental health councils will conduct LD diagnosis on a sliding scale, which may make it affordable for many students with limited financial resources. Universities with graduate programs in clinical psychology may also provide LD diagnosis on a sliding scale. If the student DOES HAVE a job, but HAS NO financial resources to pay for diagnosis, the Arkansas Department of Career Education, Adult Education Division, has authorized a limited amount of funding for the

2 AALRC to pay contracted clinics and psychologists to conduct the WAIS-IV tests. The AALRC has contracted with a number of psychological testing centers to provide WAIS-IV testing for students who are working towards a GED and need to request accommodations on the GED test for a specific learning disability. These contracts are only for students who have no existing, current diagnosis; no existing resources to pay for diagnosis; and whose goal is to get their GED diploma. The contracts are designed to facilitate the process of learning disabilities diagnosis for students who are undiagnosed, but at some point in the screening process, demonstrate a high probability of the existence of a learning disability. Payment will be made by the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center (AALRC) directly to the diagnostician. If the student has insurance or any other resources that would pay for the testing, that student is not eligible for testing under this contractual arrangement. Only students with no available resources will be eligible to have their testing paid by the AALRC. This agreement applies only to those students whose goal is to get a GED. Unemployed students should still be referred to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services whenever possible. There are two types of tests required to request accommodations for learning disabilities for the GED: (1) a measurement of academic achievement, and (2) a measurement of potential or intelligence. The referral process for testing in Arkansas includes the Woodcock Johnson-III (WJ-III) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-IV). Janice Hanlon, State GED Administrator, coordinates a group of GED Examiners and adult education instructors to administer the WJ-III for students who are working towards a GED and will be referred for a learning disabilities diagnosis. Please contact the certified professional nearest your center to arrange for him or her to conduct the WJ-III with your student BEFORE you refer the student for the WAIS-IV. There is no cost to your program or student for this testing, although your program will be required to pay for the examiner's travel. Contact one of the following individuals to administer the Woodcock Johnson Achievement Test Part III, Section C on L-15. The school requesting the test must pay the travel expenses for the tester. Call Patti White, Disabilities Coordinator, at 1-800-569-3539 to arrange for Intelligence testing (Section Three) on the Learning and Other Cognitive Disabilities request form. (Updated 11/11)

Professionals Certified to Administer the WJ-III

Location Name Program Contact Info

3 4/6/2018 Bentonville NWACC Adult 479.986.6911 Education

Berryville Jean Carroll County 870.423.4455 Singleton Adult [email protected] Education

Camden Terry Ouachita 870.837.4003 Jackson County Adult Education

Clarksville Shirley Johnson 479.754.2620 Freeman County Adult [email protected] Education

Clinton Gayla Feist North Central 870.745.6554 Career Center [email protected]

Conway Bruce Conway Adult 501.450.4810 McSpadden Education or 501.450.4859

Crossett Janie UAM College 870.364.6414 Carter of Technology [email protected] at Crossett

Dermott Kleeman Dermott Adult 870.538.1052 O’Leary Education [email protected]

Fayetteville Susan Fayetteville 479.444.3041 Socia Adult Education

Ft. Smith Gary Ft. Smith 479.785.1232 Udouj or Adult [email protected] Marcia Education Dye

Harrison Judy NAC Adult 870.391.3198 Waters Education [email protected]

4 Leslie Jan North Central 870.447.6111 Hennessee, Career Center [email protected] Mary Kirk [email protected]

Lonoke Dianne Lonoke/Prairie 501.676.7054 Faucett Counties Adult [email protected] Education

Malvern Jan Ouachita 501.332.5002 Robertson Technical [email protected] College Adult Education

Melbourne Ozarka Sandra Miller 870.368.2052 College [email protected] Adult Education

Marked Effie ASU Technical 870.358.2117 Tree Dungan Center [email protected]

Nashville Dawn UA Cossatot 870.845.2454 , Ext. Humphrey Community 294 or College, 800.844.4471 , Nashville Ext. 294 [email protected]

Newport Martha ASU Newport 870.512.7824 Taussig Adult [email protected] Education

North Little Charles Pulaski County 501.945.6055 Rock Carter Special School [email protected] District Adult Education

Paragould Joan Arkansas 870.215.0433 Eveland Northeastern [email protected] College – Greene 5 4/6/2018 County

Pine Bluff Jefferson 870.534.5823 County Adult Education

Pocahontas Tammie Black River 870.368.2052 Lemmons Technical College Adult Education

Russellville Pat Russellville 479.968.5244 Collins, Adult [email protected] Dorothy Education Harris

Springdale NTI Adult 479.751.0181 Education

To re-cap, if you have a student who may have a learning disability and needs to be referred for diagnosis, and if that student's goal is to get a GED and has no existing resources to pay for the WAIS-IV, please complete the following steps: 1. Submit the completed Request for AALRC Funding for WAIS-IV Evaluation form to the AALRC Disabilities Project Manager at [email protected]. After it has been approved, the student must take the form to the psychological clinic on the date of their evaluation to provide documentation that the AALRC will pay for the testing. 2. Discuss the referral process with the student. Be sure the student understands what a learning disability is and why they are being referred for diagnosis. 3. Contact the nearest WJ-III certified examiner and arrange for a time for them to come and test your student. That person will complete the appropriate section of the LCD, the GEDTS official form for requesting accommodations on the GED. Note: Your center is responsible for paying the WJ-III examiner's travel to your program to do the testing. 4. Set an appointment with one of the psychological centers under contract for your student to take the WAIS-IV. Be sure the center knows the referral is from your program. 6 5. Be sure the student takes the LCD form with the WJ-III scores filled out when they go for their WAIS-IV test. This information will assist the psychologist in the diagnosis process. 6. Your local GED examiner should be able to assist you in this whole process, and should be involved from the beginning. He or she will work with the student to complete the rest of the LCD form and submit the completed form to the state office. Contracted Psychological Testing Centers for WAIS-IV Testing

City Test Center Contact Info Contact: Charlie Weiner Phone: Henderson State University Arkadelphia E-mail (work): [email protected] Arkadelphia, AR E-mail (home): [email protected] Contact: Jim Gregory Counseling Clinic Phone: 501.315.4224 Benton 307 E. Sevier Fax: 501.776.0411 Benton, AR 72015 Email: [email protected] Contact: Donna M. Van Kirk, Ed.D. NW AR Behavior Therapy Phone: 479.271.6103 Clinic Bentonville Fax: 479.271.6109 2717 SE "I" Street, Suite 1 E-mail: [email protected] Bentonville, AR 72712 Website:www.betherap.com Contact: Julia Frost Julia Frost Phone: 479.979.1401 Dody Pelts E-mail: [email protected] Clarksville University of the Ozarks Contact: Dody Pelts Clarksville, AR 72830 Phone: 479.979.1401 E-mail: [email protected] South Arkansas Regional Contact: Regina Pierce Health Center Phone: 870.862.7921 El Dorado 715 North College Ave. Fax: 870.864.7003 El Dorado, AR 71730 E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Byron Dickinson Contact: Dr. Byron Dickinson Harrison 19234 North Bass Lane Phone: 830-928-0822 Lead Hill, AR 72644 E-Mail: [email protected] Contact: Bonnie White Mid-South Heath Systems Phone: 870.972.4000 Jonesboro 2707 Browns Lane Fax: 870.972.4968 Jonesboro, AR 72401 E-mail: [email protected] Little Rock Professional Counseling Contact: Jannie Cotton 7 4/6/2018 Associates 650 South Shackleford Rd., Phone: 501.221.1843 Suite 217 Fax: 501.221.2376 PO Box 24210 E-mail: [email protected] Little Rock, AR 72211 Southwest Arkansas Contact: Dr. Dwight Sperry Counseling & MHC Phone: 870.773.4655 Texarkana 2904 Ark Blvd. Fax: 870.773.4655 PO Box 1987 E-mail:[email protected] Texarkana, AR 75504 Counties Served by Counseling Services of Eastern Arkansas and Mid-South Health Systems Organization Counties Contact Info Crittenden County Contact: Roland Irwin, Cross County Ph.D. Counseling Services of Eastern Lee County Clinical Services Director Arkansas Monroe County Phone: 870.630.9129 Phillips County Fax: 870.630.1128 St. Francis E-mail: [email protected] County Clay County Craighead County Contact: Frankie Hogue, Greene County Ph.D. Lawrence Clinical Services Director Mid-South Health Systems County Phone: 870.972.4000 Mississippi Fax: 870.972.4968 County E-mail: [email protected] Poinsett County Randolph County