Eligibility Determination-The Journey Begins

The Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET), consisting of you and a group of qualified professionals, will review existing data and additional evaluation results to determine if your child is eligible for special education and related services. The evaluation will consist of a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather academic, functional, and developmental information about your child. Your child has a right to be evaluated in his/her native language, or other mode of communication, by a qualified professional in all areas of suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, adaptive behavior, communication, and motor abilities. Your child’s initial evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days from the date you give informed written consent to determine special education eligibility. You will receive an explanation and copy of the evaluation.

Your child may be eligible in one or more of the following disability categories:

• Autism (A)
• Emotional Disability (ED)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Other Health Impairments (OHI)
• Specific Learning Disability (SLD)\
• Mild Mental Retardation (MIMR)
• Multiple Disabilities (MD)
• Moderate Mental Retardation (MOMR)
• Multiple Disabilities with Severe Sensory Impairment (MDSSI)
• Severe Mental Retardation (SMR)
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
• Preschool Moderate Delay (PMD)
• Preschool Severe Delay (PSD)\
• Preschool Speech/Language Delay (PSL)
• Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)

Independent Educational Evaluation

If you disagree with an evaluation obtained by the school, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). When you make the request, the school will give you information about where the evaluation can be obtained and the criteria that applies to an IEE. The school must either ensure that the IEE is provided at public expense (at no cost to you) or file for a due process hearing to show their evaluation was appropriate. If the due process hearing decision is that the school’s evaluation is appropriate, you still have a right to an IEE at your own expense and
have it considered at part of the MET process. Although the team is required to consider the information provided by an independent evaluator, the team is not required to include the findings or follow the recommendations.