25 | NYC DOE Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Manual
Table of Contents Top of this section General Information & Terms
obtained through observations, results of general education interventions,
and from the parent/guardian, teacher or other school personnel.
An occupational therapy assessment should be considered when
participation restriction may be related to activities of daily living, functional
sensorimotor skills, pre vocational skills, movement/accessibility, visual
motor, and/or management of classroom materials/tools (including writing
implements).
A physical therapy assessment should be considered when there are
concerns about the student’s gross motor skills impacting access and
participation in various areas of the school, such as hallways, stairs,
classroom, lunchroom, playground, gym, bathroom, transportation, and
others.
OT and PT assessments should employ a participation-based approach that
places overall importance on the student’s role, participation, and social
engagement within the educational environment. This is referred to as a
“top-down” approach (as compared with a “bottom-up” approach, which
considers the student’s disability and specific deficits and strengths first).
The primary focus of the assessment is to identify problems and concerns
related to these functional areas. If concerns are identified, the assessment
proceeds to determine factors that interfere with the accomplishment of the
student’s role in the educational environment.
The OT/PT Evaluation forms in SESIS are completed by the assigned
evaluator.
A physician’s prescription is not required to conduct an OT or PT
assessment. If the IEP team determines that a student requires school-
based OT or PT, a physician’s prescription is required to recommend
the service on the student’s IEP. A physician’s prescription alone is not
sufficient to recommend OT or PT service on the IEP; an assessment must
be completed to determine the student’s need for each service.
Vocational Assessment
Professionals: The administration of a vocational assessment requires a
team approach. Team members are identified by the principal/chairperson,
and may include a rehabilitation counselor, guidance counselor, special
education teacher, Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher, school
psychologist, and/or school social worker.
A vocational assessment must first be completed for all students with
disabilities at age 12 or older (or who will turn 12 by the end of the calendar
year in which the evaluation is completed) to help the student, family and
school to begin to discuss the needs, interests and aspirations of the student
as she/he prepares for high school, graduation and adult life.
The vocational assessment involves the systematic collection and analysis of
information gathered from the student, parent(s), and teacher(s) and a review
of school records to explore a student’s vocational aptitudes, skills, expressed
interests, and occupational exploration history (e.g., volunteer experiences,
part-time or summer employment, club activities). The collection of this
information should also take into account the student’s language, culture, and
family. Based on the student’s age, abilities, expressed interests and needs,
an appropriate vocational assessment may include the review of existing
school information and conducting informal interviews (a Level I assessment),
the administration of one or more formal vocational assessments (Level II),
or job and student performance analyses made in real or simulated work
settings as reported by the student, employer, job coach or vocational
evaluator (Level III).
Vocational assessments should be updated as the student’s interests and
needs change. The Level I assessment incorporates information gathered
from the student, parent, and teacher relating to a student’s goals for
graduation, employment, postsecondary education, training, and independent
living skills. The Level I assessment must be updated annually, and the IEP
team should consider conducting further (Level II and III) assessments when
appropriate as transition planning progresses.
Based upon the information gathered from a Level I assessment, the
student’s age, transition planning needs, and expected exiting credential at
the time of the initial evaluation, a Level II assessment may be conducted to
determine the level of a student’s vocational skills, aptitudes, and interests.
The Level II Career Assessment is a formal assessment using a normed/
standardized vocational instrument that tests specific skills and abilities.
Though it is frequently a trained vocational evaluator or rehabilitation
counselor who administers or supervises this level of assessment, a
guidance counselor, special education teacher, school psychologist, school
social worker, or other trained professional may administer the assessment.
Collected data can include: interest inventory, perception (visual/auditory/
tactile), motor (dexterity, speed, tool use, strength, coordination), spatial
discrimination, verbal (reading, writing, speaking), numerical (measurement,
money skills), comprehension (task learning, problem solving), attention
(staying on task), and learning preferences.
Similarly, a Level III assessment may be appropriate to facilitate an expansive
exploration of a student’s vocational abilities, aptitudes, and interests. A Level
III assessment (a Functional Vocational Assessment, as referenced in the IEP)
is a comprehensive career assessment that utilizes real or simulated work,