The referral stage: why slowing down to ask the right questions changes everything
By Cliff Pereira
- Referral
- Evaluation process
- Multilingual learners
- School psychology
- Intervention planning
One of the most important parts of the evaluation process is the referral stage.
It’s also where teams often face the most challenges.
At that point, teams are trying to make sense of what they’re seeing. Is it a learning issue, a language difference, a response to instruction, or a behavioral need?
For multilingual learners in particular, those distinctions matter.
Taking the time to slow down and ask the right questions early can change the entire trajectory of the process.
In my work, I often support teams in thinking through these questions before moving forward with evaluation.
It leads to stronger interventions, clearer data, and more accurate decisions.