Diagnosticians
are here to assess and diagnose the learning problems of students. They
are also key support personnel who counsel the children and consult
with teachers, parents, and others on the child’s progress. They will
assess a student, plan an appropriate program for that student. Once
the assessment is complete, the diagnostician will determine if the
child is eligible for special services under Title I, special
education, or bilingual education programs. After the determination is
made, the educational diagnostician, who often serves in a case
manager’s role, meets with the child’s teacher and discusses the
classification and the best way to teach the student. They may
recommend that the child be allowed extra time during tests or to take
them orally if written communication is a problem. Or the diagnostician
may discuss with the teacher where to place the child’s desk.A highly
distractible child may need to be placed directly in front of the
teacher if the child has peer interaction problems. Whatever program
and/or techniques are decided upon, the educational diagnostician in
many school districts assumes responsibility for seeing that the
program is implemented.