Independent Educational Evaluations
Do you believe your child would benefit from special education services? If so, there are several steps you can take to advocate for your child and get him/her the appropriate accommodations. The journey toward special education typically starts with the school, where a multi-disciplinary team determines if your child qualifies for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). If the school does not approve your request or you are dissatisfied with the suggested accommodations, you can seek a second opinion in the form of an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE).
Reasons to Pursue an Independent Educational Evaluation
When a school performs an evaluation to determine whether or not a child has a disability and the parent(s) disagree with the school’s findings, the parent(s) can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) from a professional. Other reasons for an IEE are disagreement about goals or services, the belief that the school’s evaluation wasn’t thorough, inadequate, progress toward goals or disagreement regarding present level of academic performance.
- Appeal the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET)’s Decision to Deny the IEP
- Get a Secondary Evaluation – You Just Don’t Think the School’s Assessment Was Correct
- Request Different or Additional Special Education Accommodations for the Child
- Advocate for Your Child’s Academic Needs – We Have an Educational Advocate on Staff to Guide You
An IEE is defined broadly by federal law as “an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the education of the child in question.” If you, as the parent(s), request an IEE from your school system, the school must provide you with information about where you can obtain such an evaluation, as well as the criteria required for the IEE. Parents also may suggest a qualified evaluator who isn’t on the school’s list and present those details to the school.
Who Pays for Independent Educational Evaluations?
IEEs typically are conducted at public expense, meaning the school system pays for the evaluation, although there are exceptions to this situation. Federal law mandates that if a parent obtains an IEE, the results of the evaluation must be considered by the school district in any decision regarding the child.
Because these assessments usually are complex cases that require extensive understanding and knowledge of many areas of disability, the clinicians at CNLD Testing & Therapy have been called upon to provide these evaluations for many school districts in the area. If you are in need of an IEE for your child, please contact our office for more detailed information.
