Special Education Assessments

The backbone of special education (aside from the IEP team) are assessments. Many parents have seen assessment reports if their children are qualified to receive special education services. However, most parents probably don't understand a lot of the information in those reports. Moreover, many parents do not get sufficient explanation of said reports during IEP meetings.

Tell me if this situation rings a bell: You're at your child's IEP meeting, and an assessment report is put in front of you for the first time. The assessor then reads the report to the IEP team. Once the reading is done, the administrator asks if there are any questions. As a parent, you don't really understand a lot of it, but you are embarrassed to ask questions because it took so long to read and everyone just wants to get out of there.

This is the case of many parents out there. However, as the most important members of the IEP team, you are entitled to a full understanding of all reports. Next time, ask for a copy of the reports in advance of the meeting. Come prepared with questions about anything / everything you don't understand, and go through those questions rather than having the assessor simply read their report. That way, you can meaningfully participate in the IEP.

The Economou Law Group has extensive experience reviewing all types of special education assessments, both for their content and legal appropriateness. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child and their assessments, call us today for your free consultation at (626) 765-9607.