The Evaluation Process and Eligibility Meeting Part 1
You've consented to an initial evaluation. Now what?
The school has 60 calendar days to complete a full and individual evaluation. At the conclusion of these 60 days an evaluation report will be put together. You should be invited to a a team meeting to discuss these results. A written notice should be provided and those invited to attend the meeting should be on that notice.
I would recommend requesting these results prior to that meeting. I have always felt the need to be prepared for what I'm going to hear prior to the meeting day. An eligibility meeting can be overwhelming, especially if you have not experienced one before. Having the results provides you with the opportunity to absorb the information and jot down any questions you may have.
Every eligibility meeting is unique and comprised of different team members. It can be intimidating to walk into a room filled with many people, but take a breath. You've got this!
The professionals who conducted evaluations should be present. This may include an education consultant, psychologist, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, and behavior specialist. (This may vary by state. I have been a participant in meetings in 3 states and each has their own unique makeup.) A school administrator, your child's general education teacher, and a special education teacher should also be present. You may choose to invite people as well. This may include professionals who work with your child, family members, a friend, or professional advocate.
In Iowa, our meeting is lead by the AEA consultant. The meeting will begin with introductions allowing you the opportunity to know each person's name, title, and relationship to your child. Be sure to introduce yourself as well, as you are part of the team.
You should also be provided with the Procedural Safeguards Manual for Parents. Hopefully these have already been presented to you upon giving consent for evaluation, but if not, take them. Each time you have a meeting they will be offered, but you do not have to take them each time.
To begin the meeting, the reasons an evaluation was conducted should be briefly discussed. The results of your child's evaluation should be presented by each person who assessed him or her. If an evaluator is not present, there needs to be another qualified person there who is qualified to interpret the testing. (This is important! We made this mistake with the Occupational Therapist's evaluation and it has delayed our son's access to services significantly).
Your child's results will either be within normal range or discrepant. It is my belief that these results may not always be accurate, however. For example, if your child has been removed from their classroom and assessed in a quiet, secluded, one-on-one setting, this may not yield an accurate reflection of their performance. If your child has attention or sensory challenges (among others), this may be the case. Our son's performance in the assessment setting versus his classroom performance is significantly different and a point we have begun to stress to those on the team. It is my firm belief that assessment environments should reflect the classroom environment to get a more accurate picture.
The ultimate goal of the eligibility meeting is to determine if your child needs special education. There are times where this process is relatively easy to determine and others where it is not.
In an effort to not overload you completely, we'll pick up here tomorrow!
The school has 60 calendar days to complete a full and individual evaluation. At the conclusion of these 60 days an evaluation report will be put together. You should be invited to a a team meeting to discuss these results. A written notice should be provided and those invited to attend the meeting should be on that notice.
I would recommend requesting these results prior to that meeting. I have always felt the need to be prepared for what I'm going to hear prior to the meeting day. An eligibility meeting can be overwhelming, especially if you have not experienced one before. Having the results provides you with the opportunity to absorb the information and jot down any questions you may have.
Every eligibility meeting is unique and comprised of different team members. It can be intimidating to walk into a room filled with many people, but take a breath. You've got this!
The professionals who conducted evaluations should be present. This may include an education consultant, psychologist, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, and behavior specialist. (This may vary by state. I have been a participant in meetings in 3 states and each has their own unique makeup.) A school administrator, your child's general education teacher, and a special education teacher should also be present. You may choose to invite people as well. This may include professionals who work with your child, family members, a friend, or professional advocate.
In Iowa, our meeting is lead by the AEA consultant. The meeting will begin with introductions allowing you the opportunity to know each person's name, title, and relationship to your child. Be sure to introduce yourself as well, as you are part of the team.
You should also be provided with the Procedural Safeguards Manual for Parents. Hopefully these have already been presented to you upon giving consent for evaluation, but if not, take them. Each time you have a meeting they will be offered, but you do not have to take them each time.
To begin the meeting, the reasons an evaluation was conducted should be briefly discussed. The results of your child's evaluation should be presented by each person who assessed him or her. If an evaluator is not present, there needs to be another qualified person there who is qualified to interpret the testing. (This is important! We made this mistake with the Occupational Therapist's evaluation and it has delayed our son's access to services significantly).
Your child's results will either be within normal range or discrepant. It is my belief that these results may not always be accurate, however. For example, if your child has been removed from their classroom and assessed in a quiet, secluded, one-on-one setting, this may not yield an accurate reflection of their performance. If your child has attention or sensory challenges (among others), this may be the case. Our son's performance in the assessment setting versus his classroom performance is significantly different and a point we have begun to stress to those on the team. It is my firm belief that assessment environments should reflect the classroom environment to get a more accurate picture.
The ultimate goal of the eligibility meeting is to determine if your child needs special education. There are times where this process is relatively easy to determine and others where it is not.
In an effort to not overload you completely, we'll pick up here tomorrow!
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