Evaluation & Eligibility - Read Aloud
What Happens Next? A Guide to Evaluation and Eligibility
In our last post, we talked about finding that brave first step: making a referral to the school when you notice your child is struggling. That single action sets a collaborative process in motion. But what happens after you send that letter or email? How does the school decide if your child needs more support?
This post will walk you through the next crucial steps in the journey: the individual evaluation and the eligibility meeting. This is where the team, with you as a key member, gathers the information needed to understand your child’s unique strengths and challenges.
The School’s Response and Your Right to Consent
After you make a referral, a school-based team will meet to review all the information they have about your child. This team, including you, will look at your child’s schoolwork, teacher observations, and the concerns you’ve shared to see if a full, individual evaluation is the right next step.
If the team agrees that an evaluation is needed, they will ask for your permission to begin. This is one of your most important rights. The school cannot conduct an individual evaluation of your child for the first time without your written, informed consent. Signing the consent form only gives the school permission to gather more information; it does not mean you are agreeing to any future services.
What is an Individual Evaluation?
An evaluation is much more than a single test. It’s a comprehensive process of gathering information from multiple sources to get a complete picture of your child’s academic and functional needs. The goal is to identify your child’s specific educational needs and determine if they qualify as a “child with a disability” under the law.
The evaluation process must:
- Be comprehensive: It must look at all areas where a disability is suspected.
- Use a variety of tools: This can include observations in the classroom, interviews with you and your child, and individual assessments by specialists like a school psychologist.
- Be non-discriminatory: The tests and procedures used must be culturally fair and administered in the language your child uses.
You are part of the team that decides which specific tests and procedures will be used to evaluate your child.
The Eligibility Meeting: Putting the Pieces Together
Once the evaluation is complete, the school will schedule an “eligibility staffing” meeting. You are an important participant in this meeting. The team will come together to discuss the results of the evaluation and answer one key question: Is your child eligible for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services?
To be found eligible in Florida, a child must meet a two-part test:
- The child must meet the state’s criteria for one of the specific disability categories, such as a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) or Speech Impairment (SI).
- Because of that disability, the child must need specially designated instruction and related services to make progress in school.
This means that a medical diagnosis alone doesn’t automatically qualify a child for ESE services. The evaluation must show that the disability impacts their ability to learn in a way that requires specialized instruction.
What if My Child is Found Eligible?
If the team determines that your child is eligible for ESE, the next step is to create their first Individualized Education Program (IEP). The law requires this meeting happen within 30 calendar days of your child being found eligible. The IEP is the roadmap that will detail the specific goals, services, and supports your child will receive.
This part of the process can feel very technical, but your role remains the same: to be the expert on your child. You bring a perspective that no one else has. In our next post, we’ll break down the IEP document section by section, so you can walk into that meeting feeling prepared and confident.