If you are wanting a full educational evaluation for your child and think that he or she could benefit from school related services, the request should be in writing to the case manager or school administrator. These evaluations are due every three years and will be address at each IEP meeting. If parents feel the need for services, or perhaps interventions before then, they can request an evaluation in writing. Emails work best but be sure to follow-up or it could become a case of the “he said, she said.” Parents will want to meet with someone from the special education team to get the process moving as soon as possible. Some school districts might not want to complete a full evaluation if they feel it is not necessary; however, adding amendments or accommodations to the IEP is a fair and completely acceptable educational practice that should not be overlooked if immediate interventions are needed.
If the school decides not to conduct a full evaluation, then the school is required by law to put the reasons for refusal in writing. However, most public schools will perform an evaluation if the request is in writing and if there are recognized challenges at that three-year mark. The school is required to evaluate even if they do not feel the need. An exception to this would be if the parents refused, or as a team, it was deemed unnecessary.
Please feel free to ask any questions about evaluations to your students’ case manager or administrative team.
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