CL: One of our student’s with Asperger’s Syndrome has been absent a lot lately so we had a parent meeting to discuss what was going on. In the meeting, mom expressed how he has some medical issues where he may be in a lot of pain so that is why he is absent a lot. She also informed the school that he has been suicidal lately and takes medication for depression and anxiety. This student has a history of being bullied and was previously going to a counselor outside of the school setting. Parent would like for her son to get evaluated to see if he qualifies for services through our LSSP. My diagnostician is referring the student to CIS (Community in Schools) program. Are parents allowed to request evaluations?
What to do if 1 parent in a divorce doesn’t want the evaluation and the other parent does because the child has marked difficulties with math and reading in school even with the little extra help they are receiving.
I work in special services and am the parent requesting an eval.
Typically that depends on what the divorce decree says. The school district has likely dealt with this So you could ask them how they deal with this.
What if the evaluation that was conducted had errors in scoring and evaluator admitted to copying and pasting information for the social history and that information was incorrect?
You can try working with the district special ed office to get the report corrected, do another evaluation. If they do not agree to this or you do not like what they offer, you can request that they pay for an independent educational evaluation done by a no-school person. You can also make a complaint to your state education agency. Your parent training and information center can also give you guidance on these options. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
Good answer by Renee. Yes, parents can request an evaluation.
Please note that I read a decision recently that said that the parents’ request for initial eligibility referral (and evaluation) need not be in writing.
I did not understand your acronyms. Can you clarify?
Also, what is the parents’ ultimate goal? Is there some way of getting straight to the supports the parents are hoping to put in place?
Yes, under IDEA law, parents are allowed to request evaluations. They have to be requested in writing. If the parent has doubts the district will follow through. (I believe districts have 30 days to respond and complete the evaluation.) Bring the request in person, have the secretary date and initial it and return a copy. This way there is proof as to when it was received, should further actions be required.