Remediation and Comprehensive Educational Evaluations of Learning Ability
Laurie Leifer, Ed. M., LDT/C, M.F.A.
An independent educational evaluation can be a valuable tool for parents. If you feel the school district's evaluation results do not reflect your child's disability or do not provide useful solutions an IEE can provide you with additional data and recommendations to address your concerns.
If you request an independent evaluation, the school district must provide you with information as to how and where you can obtain the evaluation and about the school district’s criteria.
If you find yourself in disagreement with the recommendations of the IEP team, requesting an independent evaluation could be your next step in the negotiating process.
Having a fuller and more complete understanding of your child's challenges can be of great value when negotiating for services during an IEP meeting.
Adapted from
Understanding Special Education.com
The Evaluation Process
Educational and Diagnostic History
- Written review of records
- Review of previous evaluations (educational, psychological, medical, etc.),
- What issues have been identified
- What remediation has been applied
- What were the results
- Critical issues and recurring concerns are identified
- Parents report
- Issues and concerns as identified by parents
Assessment
A battery of tests is typically performed during two or three 2 ½ hour sessions. Some of the tests that may be administered tests are:
- Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive, Achievement, and Oral Language Ability
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)
- Gray Oral Reading Tests (GORT)
- Comprehensive Tests of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF)
- Test of Written Language (TOWL)
- Berry VMI
Observations & Conferences
As necessary
- Observation of current educational situation
- Interviews with teachers, parents, other service providers
- Observation and conference with potential educators
Report
Test results including
- Explanation of what each test is seeking to measure
- Explanation of the results of each test and subtest
- Detailed findings from the assessment
- Recommendations that can be implemented by the school and at home for the specific issues identified including Services, Accommodations,Educational Methods and if indicated Placement considerations.
Informing Conference
- Full discussion on test results and implications
- Conference on implementing recommendations