Letter to SD to request full initial evaluation

[TiredSoul]

I am getting ready to send a letter to the SD to request a full initial evaluation of my 5 year old son (entering Kindergarten). Could someone please point me in the right direction about what specifically I need to mention in the letter and what I need to know about timelines, etc. I know it has been discussed before and many of you have said there is info in the archives, I just need some help finding what I need. Also, do I send the letter to the director of Special Education for the district, and not to the principal of his specific school? Thanks!

 

[Sheila]

Hi Julie

Send a letter to the Special Education Director for your district. Send it via Certified Mail -- the CM kicks in timelines within which the sd must perform.

Timeline: 60 days to complete evaluation(s); I think it's another 30 days to complete report writing and hold the 1st IEP meeting (for eligibility determination). If your child qualifies for an IEP, the IEP will be written at the first meeting -- but the first order of business is that the child has to "qualify."

 

[Martie]

Sheila,

I think IDEA 2004 says 60 days to complete the evaluation AND hold the eligability meeting. I'm too tired to look, but I remember a discussion of whether or not this will end the process taking a whole school year.

Martie

 

[Sheila]

I agree that the federal regs state the evaluations have to be completed within 60 days of receiving parent consent. But they don't say the findings have to be reduced to writing via a written report within the same time period. roflol Just a minor technicality. (At least I haven't found it if it does.)

The IDEA 2004 TEA Parent Guide link I posted above has a timeline layout at the end of the document. It doesn't stated a date for report writing completion, but the 1st IEP/eligibility meeting has to be held within 90 days of receiving parent consent for the evaluation(s).

 

[TiredSoul]

You gals are awesome - thank you!!

 

[TiredSoul]

The letter has been sent certified mail. School starts on Wed. Should I make a copy of the letter and the parent input report to give to the teacher on the first day - so she has some idea? I doubt she would know this soon otherwise. What have been some of your experiences with this type of situation?

 

[Martie]

Julie,

The law does not require you to do anything more than sen that certified letter but in the interest of good communication, I would let the teacher know that you have requested a full CSE (and therefore, it does not reflect on her) and give her your Parental Input, especially if it contains information helpful in preventing difficult child from having problems in school.

Best wishes to your little guy as he takes this big step.

Martie

 

[TiredSoul]

Thanks Martie! I will share the parent report with her and let her know we requested the evaluation.

 

[SRL]

Personally I wouldn't give the teacher any personal mental health history of other family members. That's information they really don't need to know at this point.

 

[TiredSoul]

I agree SRL! Thanks. I did not include that section on the parent report. None of their business. I am just disappointed at this point that the Childrens Hospital won't do the neuropsychologist evaluation until after we have the school evaluation done (and only if we have issues about that evaluation). I would really like to have both, but I think it would have been especially helpful to have the neuropsychologist evaluation in hand first and then do the school evaluation. Who knows. Wish me luck! Today is the first day of Kindergarten (actually it's only for an hour with the parent(s)). Tomorrow he rides the bus all by himself. He is so excited about that. Knowing him, he will be mad once the busride to school is over and he has to go into class. (Sigh)