Many children struggle at times in specific subjects or in school in general. Academic struggles can occur for many reasons, but if the concern is severe or consistent over a long period of time, it is time to explore a psychoeducational evaluation. If your child attends a public school, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) includes the Child Find Mandate. This outlines a legal obligation for public schools to identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities regardless of severity. In effect, it is the school’s responsibility to be aware and to assess children who are struggling due to a disability.

The first step in the process is to submit a written request for evaluation which should include the date, your child’s full name, your name, your contact info and explicit reasons why you believe they are in need of a psychoeducational evaluation. This can be a simple email to the school psychologist. The school has a duty to respond within 10 days with a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice(NOREP/PWN) detailing their decision and reasoning behind the decision. One factor to keep in mind from the very beginning is that a school is required to respond to any and all written requests but does not have to agree with every request. Especially if your child’s grades are C’s or above (not a hard and fast rule, but the general consensus), schools may refuse the request due to passing grades.

If the school accepts and agrees to evaluate your child, you will be asked to sign a Permission to Evaluate (PTE). When you submit your signed copy back to the school, a 60-day clock (not including days during summer break) has now started for the school to complete an initial evaluation (IE) and submit an evaluation report (ER). Once the evaluation is completed, the school will provide the report to parents and has 30 days to schedule and have an IEP meeting if it is found that specialized interventions are necessary. This meeting involves pertinent school staff, parents, and the child to determine specific interventions and goals in order to concretely track progress and success of the identified supports.  

If the school denies the request, you can choose arbitration or you can alternatively seek out private evaluation from an individual certified as a school psychologist. This option incurs an out of pocket cost that can range from $1,500 to $6,000 depending on what kind of assessment you seek. While the cost can feel prohibitive, private evaluations can be more comprehensive and provide feedback outside of the context of just academics, which could be helpful in some situations. This may not guarantee that your child receives supports since the external assessor may also find that academic supports aren’t necessary, but it is often helpful in supporting you with further decision making.

If you are currently experiencing concerns about your child’s academic and emotional well-being, reach out for an initial consultation.

 Permission to Evaluate (PTE) sent to parents

10 days after formal request

Finish Initial Evaluation

60 calendar days (not including summer break)

Copy of Evaluation Report sent to parents

10 days before IEP

IEP meeting

Within 30 days of eligibility determination