Terri: If a parent writes a letter requesting a full academic/speech/language evaluation. Is school obligated to test? The child is a Kinder student, extremely unintelligible, and the lowest performing student in the classroom. Teacher is in agreement that child be evaluated.
Terri –
The school CAN deny the request for an initial evaluation. Generally they will do so if they do not suspect the child has a disability. If they deny the request, the school is required to put the reasons for the denial in writing.
If the school denies the request, the parent has the option to request a due process hearing to challenge the denial. If the school simply ignores or does not reply to the request, the parent can request a due process hearing or file a complaint through their state’s IDEA complaint system.
Your local parent center can help guide you through using either of this dispute resolution options: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/.