Evaluation Requests
If you have concerns about your child’s development, support is available even before your child begins school. The evaluation process depends on your child’s age and enrollment status. For children who are not yet enrolled in school, evaluations are initiated through the Intermediate School District (ISD) using the referral forms linked below. Submitting a referral is the first step in determining eligibility for early intervention services and supports.
Until a child is officially enrolled in school, all evaluations must begin through the ISD.
School-Age Evaluation Referrals
If a child is enrolled in school or suspected of having a disability that may interfere with learning, a referral for an evaluation may be initiated by a variety of individuals, including Parents, teachers, licensed physicians, foster parents, and other community agencies. They complete the referral by:
- Contacting the child's teacher
- Contacting the building principal
- Contacting the school counselor
- Contacting the Special Education Office
A REED (Review of Existing Evaluation Data) document will be drafted by the Individual Educational Planning Team members, which includes the parent/legal guardian(s) and qualified professionals. Existing information/evaluations, as well as school-based information and observations, will be reviewed. Based on the review, the team will identify what additional information, if any, is needed to determine whether your child has a particular category of disability, or, in the case of a reevaluation, if they continue to have such a disability. If the IEP Team determines, upon completion of the REED, that additional information is needed, the parent/legal guardian(s) will be asked to sign a consent form. Once written consent is received, the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) will evaluate within 30 school days. Once the MET evaluations are completed, a written MET report with eligibility recommendations is presented at an IEP team meeting. Using the MET information, the IEP team determines whether or not your child is eligible for Special Education and how their educational needs will be met in light of any qualifying disability area.
