Parents or guardians should first contact their child’s teacher or local school to speak with the designated person regarding testing for eligibility for special education. Upon receiving written consent for evaluation from the child’s parent or guardian, a Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIE) must be completed within 45 school days, unless certain special circumstances apply.
An Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting is then held within 30 calendar days of the date of the FIE to review testing results and determine eligibility for special education.
If appropriate, the ARD committee develops a specialized program designed to meet the child’s individual needs, which may include related services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy and music therapy. This program is called the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Evaluation for related services is sometimes included in the initial FIE, but in many instances it occurs later once the child’s ARD committee members have an opportunity to assess how the child is performing in his or her educational program.
The child’s IEP is reviewed annually, and eligibility for special education is reviewed and/or assessed no less than every three years.