Evaluation for Special Education

Do you think your child may need special education services at school? You can ask for an assessment to see if they qualify. With this in mind, we recommend requesting an evaluation for special education services in writing. Address the letter to your school’s principal and include your district’s Director of Special Education Services. It is important to obtain proof of delivery, because the process is time-sensitive. That is to say, emailing provides you with the date/time stamp that the document was sent. If you bring the letter to your child’s school, have the office sign and date saying they got it. If you send a postal-delivered letter, send it via registered mail, return-receipt requested; and send a copy to the district and the school. However you choose to submit your letter, make sure you confirm that your letter was sent and received.

Drafting a Request for Evaluation for Special Education

Your letter should ask for a comprehensive assessment and give your district permission to complete it. In your letter, explain the challenges your child is having. You may also choose to include some details you know about the evaluation process. For example, the timeline or that the testing is free to you.

Here is a SAMPLE REQUEST FOR EVALUATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION letter that may help give you some ideas on what to write.

After your evaluation is complete an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting will be held to review the results of the testing and determine if your child is eligible for special education and which services are available to them. If you complete this process with your district and everything works out, excellent! Unfortunately, you may find their results to be incorrect or incomplete. In this case, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). If you are not sure what an IEE is or how to ask for one you may find this post helpful – The Independent Educational Evaluation Process

Requesting Special Education Blog Series

This post is part blog series about the evaluation for special education process. For additional information on this process, you may find it helpful to review one or more of our posts in this 4-part series:

1. Does My Child Need an IEP? What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and does my child need one?
2. Request an Evalution for Special Education Services. This post explains how to request an evaluation for special education and includes a sample letter to request a free evaluation from your district.
3. The Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) Process. If you disagree with the results of your IEP, you have the right to request a “second opinion” by the examiner of your choice. This post explains that process and provides you with a sample letter to request a free evaluation from your district. If your child attends school within 75-miles of one of our California locations (Bakersfield, Simi Valley, or Woodland Hills), you can select our agency to help your family.
4.  I Requested an IEE: What Happens Next? The school district may grant or deny your IEE request. Learn more about that process in this post.