The Intervention Assistance Team process is just that:  A process to provide assistance to teachers, parents, and students.  The goal of this process is to insure the success and well being of students.  Its purpose is to provide assistance to effectively address the needs of the individual student.  This process does not identify student as handicapped or labeled in any way.  The team may meet for any variety of reasons:  academic, social, behavioral, emotional.

Intervention Assistance Teams are groups of individuals who are concerned about the progress of a specific student.  They may include parents, teachers, principals, counselors, special education teachers, school psychologists, and others who have information about the student. 

Initially, a team meeting is called to discuss any concern about the student.  Input concerning the child is gathered and discussed.  An Intervention Plan is designed which addresses these concerns. It determines what things will be done to best help this child based on the information the team currently has.  The interventions may happen at home and school.  Plans will vary according to the student.  A time to reconvene is set to determine the success of the plan.  Generally, this is four to six weeks in the future.  However, it is possible that the team may be called together before that time if the need arises.

When the team reconvenes, the plan is evaluated to determine how the interventions worked.  If interventions proved successful and concerns have been addressed, the team may decide not to meet again.  If interventions are successful, but need to be continued, the team may choose to meet again in a specified length of time to see if this success continues or if modifications are needed.  If interventions are unsuccessful, new interventions may be selected or a recommendation for referral to outside agencies or testing may be made. 

Intervention Teams will stay in place and meet for as long as a child needs assistance of this team to be successful.  If intervention plans carry-over from year to year, the actual team members may change, but the plan may remain the same.  The teams may be called together at any time.

If a team determines they need additional information concerning the child that is only available through testing, a recommendation and referral to the school psychologist for testing may be made.  Occasionally, informal tests or instruments are used that do not require formal testing.  More often, a full set of tests is administered.  If a complete assessment is needed, a formal referral is made.  At this time the parent is informed of all safeguards and makes a decision whether or not they agree.  No testing may be done without a parent’s agreement.