Erin Micali, PsyD
Dr. Erin Micali is a neuropsychologist at Sasco River Center in Darien, CT, who specializes in pediatric neuropsychological evaluations. Her focus areas include neurodevelopmental disorders and early childhood evaluations.
The first step is to confirm that the school will accept a private evaluation. With a private evaluation, an independent evaluator is hired and paid by the family, unlike a school-based evaluation or an Independent Educational Evaluation, both of which the school pays for.
Most public schools accept private evaluations, but there are some procedural steps that you should be aware of to make sure the results and recommendations from the private evaluation are incorporated into the supports and services the school provides.
Submitting the Evaluation Report
Submission of the private evaluation report is school-dependent and should be sent to the special education coordinator, vice principal, or case manager (if your child is already identified by the school as a child in need of services).
When you submit the report, include a written request for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting to discuss the report. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss how the findings adversely affect your child’s academic performance and his need for special education services. This is important because to be eligible for special education services, your child must meet criteria for one of the disability classifications, which can be found on your school district’s website under the heading “Special Education Services” or “Individualized Education Programs.”
The submission of the private evaluation will prompt the school to conduct a review of your child’s file to determine if the concerns noted in it are impacting him academically. In addition to reviewing these findings, the school will look at other records gathered throughout his time at the school, including the results of the school-based evaluation.
During the Meeting
At the IEP meeting you requested, the private evaluation report will be discussed. If possible, bring the outside evaluator to this meeting to articulate the findings, express their views on whether educational impairment has resulted due to these concerns, and answer any questions that arise. If they’re unable to attend, you can request that the evaluator speak to the school team in advance of the meeting and give recommendations.
In addition to evaluation findings, everyone present gets a chance to discuss your child’s strengths and vulnerabilities. In addition to you, the room may include teachers, special education coordinators, specialists (e.g., school psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, paraprofessionals, etc.), and a case manager.
Don’t be intimidated by the number of people in the room! Everyone is there to help your child.
As your child’s primary advocate, it’s important to come to this meeting prepared. While there are no guarantees that the outcome of the meeting will be what you hope for, using the following guidelines will make sure you have set the groundwork for success:
- Prepare in advance. Make sure you read the documents the school provides you in advance of the meeting. After reading, prepare questions you may have.
- Re-read the private evaluation report and ask the evaluator any lingering questions in advance of the meeting.
- Going into the meeting with specific goals in mind or areas of concern you hope to address is key. Be specific about your requests and use the report findings to support your argument.
- Keep records! Records help to demonstrate long-standing patterns of behavior, which is referred to as data. Data is important for tracking progress or the lack thereof.
After the Meeting
At the end of the meeting, the school will provide you with concrete and actionable items for the future. One possibility is that the school can determine that your child needs additional testing through the school to better understand if your concerns and your child’s symptoms are impacting him academically. Alternatively, the school may find your child eligible for special education services. They may take recommendations from the testing report to help build your child’s IEP.
However, your child may also be denied special education services. In this case, you have the right to request a 504 planning meeting to discuss whether accommodations to classroom learning are sufficient for your child. In this scenario, if approved for a 504 plan, you can still request that select report recommendations be included in the plan.
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