Special Education Evaluations: What to Expect (Ohio Edition) 🎓
So, the school team has agreed that your child needs an evaluation for special education services. Now what?
🚨 Buckle up, because this is a process. 🚨
From paperwork to testing to eligibility decisions, there are several steps involved before your child is officially approved for an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Let’s walk through everything you need to know—without the confusing jargon.
Step 1: Receiving Prior Written Notice (PR01) ✉️
Once the school decides to move forward with an evaluation, they are legally required to send you a Prior Written Notice (PR01). This confirms that they are initiating the evaluation process.
Step 2: Completing Referral & Consent Forms 📝
Before testing can begin, you’ll need to sign consent forms for the evaluation. In Ohio, this includes:
📌 PR-04 Referral Form (Basic background info)
✔ Demographic details
✔ Reason for referral
✔ Education history (grades, state test scores, intervention history)
✔ Attendance & medical information
📌 PR-05 Consent Form (Once signed, the 60-day evaluation clock starts)
Step 3: The Evaluation Plan 🔍
The most detailed part of the paperwork is the Evaluation Plan, which outlines which areas will be assessed. Not every child needs every test—the plan should be tailored to your child’s specific needs.
📌 Possible Areas of Assessment in Ohio:
✔ Parent Input – Info you provide via interview/questionnaire
✔ IQ Test – Measures general intelligence
✔ Academic Achievement Testing – Assesses reading, math, and writing skills
✔ Teacher Interviews & Classroom-Based Evaluations – Looks at grades and teacher feedback
✔ Progress Monitoring Data – Ideally, a summary of previous interventions (though this is often incomplete)
✔ Speech/Language Screening – If communication difficulties are a concern
✔ Vision & Hearing Screening – Conducted by the school nurse (must be current within 6 months)
✔ Social/Emotional Status – Behavior rating scales (BASC-3, etc.) filled out by parents & teachers
✔ Medical Review – If relevant, a doctor’s form confirming medical diagnoses
✔ Fine/Gross Motor Skills – Assessed by an occupational therapist (OT) or physical therapist (PT), if needed
✔ Vocational/Transition Assessment – For middle/high schoolers, evaluates real-world skills
✔ Classroom Observation – Required for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) evaluations & preschool students
✔ Behavioral Assessments – If there are concerns about disruptive behaviors
✔ Adaptive Behavior Rating Scales – Required for Intellectual Disability (ID) evaluations, recommended for Autism
(🚨 Fun Fact: "Other" is rarely checked, but can be used for things like Executive Functioning assessments!)
Step 4: The 60-Day Evaluation Window Begins ⏳
📌 Once you sign PR-05 (consent form), the school has 60 days to:
✔ Conduct all assessments
✔ Gather teacher and parent input
✔ Observe your child in class (if required)
✔ Compile the Evaluation Team Report (ETR)
Your child will likely be pulled out of class multiple times for testing. Total testing time is about 3-4 hours, but it may be split across several sessions.
🚨 Most school psychologists won’t give you a testing schedule. Due to large caseloads, they usually test students when they have availability. Let your child know ahead of time that they’ll be doing “brain games” and academic tasks with the school psychologist.
Step 5: Parent & Teacher Rating Scales 📝
During the evaluation process, you’ll likely receive:
✔ A parent questionnaire (about development, behavior, and concerns)
✔ Social/emotional rating scales (like the BASC-3)
✔ Adaptive behavior rating scales (Vineland-3, etc., if applicable)
Your child’s teachers will also receive rating scales.
📌 Speed up the process: The sooner you return these forms, the faster the evaluation can move forward!
Step 6: The Evaluation Team Report (ETR) Meeting 📋
Once all assessments are complete, the Evaluation Team Report (ETR) meeting is scheduled. Legally required team members include:
✔ Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
✔ School Psychologist
✔ Regular Education Teacher
✔ Intervention Specialist
✔ District Representative (usually a principal)
(🚨 If a required team member can’t attend, they must submit written input, and the parent/guardian must sign an excusal form.)
At this meeting, the team will:
📌 Review evaluation results
📌 Discuss strengths and weaknesses
📌 Determine if your child qualifies for special education services
Step 7: Eligibility Determination ✅❌
To qualify for special education, three things must be true:
1️⃣ Performance isn’t due to lack of instruction (i.e., they’ve had proper teaching but still struggle).
2️⃣ The child meets state criteria for a disability.
3️⃣ The child’s needs require specialized instruction.
📌 If all three are YES, your child qualifies for an IEP! 🎉
Step 8: What Happens Next? 🎯
✔ If your child qualifies:
The IEP must be written within 30 days. (We’ll cover IEPs in the next post!)
✔ If your child does NOT qualify: You can:
Accept a Building-Level Plan or 504 Plan instead
Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) (paid for by the school)
Appeal the decision
(🚨 We’ll break down IEEs in a future post!)
Phew, What a Process! 🤯
We know—this is A LOT. If you have questions about the evaluation process, eligibility, or your child’s needs, drop them in the comments! 👇
📞 Call or text: 614-470-4466
📧 Email: admin@achievepsychology.org
🌐 Visit: www.achievepsychology.org
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