How to request testing for your child if you suspect a disability.
It’s the end of the school year, many parents have checked out and want to focus on family vacations and life without homework struggles for a while, completely understandable! However this is a good time to think about the school year and your child’s benchmark assessments as well as any concerning conversations that you had with your child’s teacher. Were you informed that you child has been receiving “extra help” in the form of response to intervention all year but still not making progress? They may have a learning disability and it is your right to request an evaluation from the school district.
How should you go about requesting evaluations?
Make sure you put your request in writing and send it directly to the Director of Special Education. Be specific about all of the areas your child is struggling in. Provide the school with a list of all areas you would like them to assess. An example of this is that if your child is struggling with sensory-related issues such as loud noises, food textures, and temperature changes, you will want to ask for the Occupational Therapist to look at sensory-related needs and not just fine motor issues. The school will provide consent to you and there is also a section where you can include additional assessments if they were not listed. An example of this would be if you have a child that is not able to communicate and you are looking for guidance on ways for them to communicate you could request an augmentative communication evaluation or an assistive technology evaluation. The district may have a person to do it within the district, or they may have to hire a consultant to have this done. Either way, if it is disability related they must do the testing.
What is the process when a student is referred for special education testing?
If a student is referred for special education testing, consent is issued, and a parent/guardian must give consent for the process to begin. Once consent is signed and returned to the student’s school, the district has 30 school days to conduct the agreed-upon evaluations. Following the completion of the evaluations, the team will meet to determine eligibility for special education and either issue an IEP or a letter of no funding for special education. This entire process will conclude within 45 school days.
Depending on the areas of suspected disability that a student presents with, various evaluations could be completed.
Psychological evaluations are completed by school psychologists throughout the district. These assessments include evaluations in the areas of attention, executive functioning, cognitive abilities, social-emotional functioning, visual-spatial skills, social abilities, memory, and behavior.
Achievement or academic evaluations are completed by special education staff members. Special educators complete assessments in the areas of academics, specifically mathematics, reading, and writing.
Speech and language evaluations include articulation and expressive and receptive language.
Additional assessments may be proposed to evaluate visual and fine motor, gross motor, vision, behavior, and/or assistive technology and are completed by individual specialists in these areas.
Now that you have the testing results, what should you do?
Once you receive the evaluations back make sure all evaluations have detailed recommendations for helping your child learn and progress to grade level if appropriate. The recommendations should be prioritized in importance and provide meaningful direction for teachers and other school personnel who work with your child. The recommendations should include needed services and not just limited to classroom accommodations.
If you need help with requesting an evaluation or need support or guidance at your child’s eligibility meeting please contact us and we can help.
Over 20 years of experience helping parents obtain the services needed so their children can make effective progress. .
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