Learning Disability (LD) Screenings

All CWES clients MUST be offered the screening for potential learning disabilities. In particular, clients must be offered the LD screening in the following situations:

At Orientation/Appraisal
If they are within 6 months of their 60-month time limit
At Assessment.

In addition, staff must also screen clients for potential LDs when:

The individual requests the screening
In the good cause determination or noncompliance process, including clients who have agreed to a noncompliance plan
The individual fails to maintain satisfactory progress in his/her CWES activity
The EC suspects a client may have learning disabilities, or
There are any other situations in which the client appears to have a suspected learning disability.

ECs must offer the LD screening to all their CWES clients.

Note: Each client is only required to be screened for learning disabilities once. If the “Learning Needs Screening” (WTW 18 or WTW 48) has been completed the client is not to be screened again.

LD Screening Tool

Each client must be screened on an individual basis. The client must be given the “Learning Needs Screening - Client Copy” (WTW 19 or WTW 49 (Spanish)) so that he/she can read the questions silently as the screener reads them aloud from the “Learning Needs Screening -County Copy” (WTW 18 or WTW 48 (Spanish)). The screener must indicate the client’s responses on the WTW 18 or WTW 48. A client may refuse to be screened.

Reminder: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THE CLIENT TO COMPLETE THE WTW 18 or WTW 48 THEMSELVES.

Clients who score a 12 or more on the screening tool may be referred to the appropriate activity based on their appraisal, including Supervised Job Search or at client’s option, may be referred to in-house Assessment who will develop a WTW Plan based on results from the assessment and LD screening indicator.

Screenings

The screening in our agency will be conducted by ECs, ACs, and Community Education Partners. All individuals who will be administering the screening tool must receive mandatory training by Staff Development.

Note: A client does not have to be referred to in-house Assessment if he/she was previously evaluated for and found to have a learning disability and the information has been incorporated into the client’s WTW plan. An existing KTS Plan may be restored if appropriate.

LD Evaluations

If a client is attending a community college or university, they may be tested and evaluated for learning disabilities by their school, or referred to other available resources in the community.

Clients with Verified IDs

If a client has a documented LD, the EC must review for the following:

Any additional supplies or tools that a client may need as a result of the accommodations defined by the evaluation may be covered by ancillary payments.
Ancillary expenses require a Supervisor and/or Manager approval and may be approved only if the service provider cannot accommodate and other available resources have been explored.

Example: A client has been identified as having an LD and is attending a computer class. The client experiences problems with visual input. Oral presentations have been recommended as the best method of learning. An appropriate accommodation could be text reading software, which can be approved as an ancillary expense.

Modified WTW Plan

Once a client is found to have LDs and has a WTW plan developed by in-house Assessment or former Keys to Success Plan, any modifications of this WTW plan are done/approved by in-house Assessment.

Evaluation Supportive Services

A client is eligible for any supportive services needed to attend the in-house Assessment appointment and the LD evaluation with the service provider.

Evaluation Non-Compliance

If the AC refers the client out to DOR or another service provider for an LD Evaluation, then they cannot be sanctioned for failing to attend the evaluation session because the LD evaluation session is optional.

Documentation

ECs must enter the LD screening results on the [Competencies] tab from the Maintain Employment Services Information window in CalWIN.

Scanning

The LD Screening tool and any other related material, such as evaluations, are to be scanned in IDM in Faster F2. The WTW Plan is to be filed in Fastener F6.