Special Education Evaluations: How to get your child evaluated for SPED Services

I would like to start out saying this is probably the hardest and most frustrating part of getting your child services. While if you live in a city like New York, they are well prepared and willing to help, but for the rest of the country it can be hit or miss. First and foremost, whether you feel your child needs services from your public school district before starting Kindergarten, or your child has already started school and you feel they need to be evaluated, PUT IT IN WRITING. Everything involving your child’s evaluation and services needs to be in an email. Usually, you can start this process with the teacher, and they will send it to the appropriate person, I always recommend cc’ing the principal, or special education coordinator for the school. Once you send this email, their clock begins.

If you don’t hear back in three school days from your initial request, you go right ahead and send them another email. Typically, you will receive communication asking about your request within 5 days. Sometimes school districts like to tell you they would like to collect data or make changes to your child’s day and use RTI (Response to Intervention) before an evaluation, this only buys them time and does not get your child services any quicker.  If they call you to discuss, after your conversation, send them an email confirming what was discussed and that you would like to proceed with an evaluation. And I am going to be honest, the process takes time, so there is nothing stopping them from collecting data and RTI during the evaluation process, in fact that should be part of the evaluation.

Each state has different timelines, so it is important for you to check the website for your state education agency for this information. Typically, within 5 calendar days of your initial request for evaluation, you should receive a consent form. You will have a set number of days to sign and return that consent form to them. I usually prefer everything by email, but if they insist you must bring it to the school, make copies, and email the special ed coordinator when you have delivered it and ask them to confirm they have received. Sounds silly, but you would be surprised how important forms get lost (and when I say lost, I mean someone threw it out). Once they receive the signed consent, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) which is Federal Law gives the school district 60 school calendar days to complete evaluations. Some states have made the process 30 days, some have made it 45 days, and in some states it is still 60. You put that date on your calendar. Please know even if you get your parental consent to them the first day of school, depending on your districts calendar, evaluations may not be complete till after Christmas break. YAASSSSSSSSSS, this is so frustrating.

In the meantime, while you are waiting for all these wonderful evaluations to get done, you keep up the communication. Make sure you are communicating with the teachers or any staff working with your child on a regular basis. Remember, any communication given verbally to you, you are going to want to document in an email. Trust me this comes in handy when you get to the ARD meeting. I will be honest, while you will always catch more flies with Honey then vinegar, make sure they know your face. Be polite, smile even when you want to scream, and don’t let them get your temper started. Lots of school districts will ban parents from campus if the parents come off “Agressive”. So as hard as it is sometimes, remember to keep your composure. And I am not saying this as just an advocate, please know I have been in your shoes, and I have had to sit nicely smiling when I have wanted to dive across the table at someone. Make friends at the school, even if you can’t volunteer, “nosey Susan” who lives down the block volunteers all the time, become her friend because she will text you when your kid has had a bad day in the lunchroom, and that gives you a chance to ask the teacher what happened that day. Get to know the school receptionist, the teachers, the Paras, SPED, Principal, Vice Principal, because you are all going to have to work together to make your child’s IEP successful.

And remember when they email you the ARD meeting schedule to discuss the Evaluation and IEP, try your best to be there in person. And spend the time you have reviewing the evaluation and IEP draft, then make a list of questions for the meeting.

I will post about how to prepare for the meeting and what to expect soon!