Every child is special in his or her own way. If you feel that your precious kid has some sort of a disability then you must arrange for a school evaluation with the permission and help of the school authorities. The special educators, who will find out the nature of your kid’s disability, conduct these sorts of evaluations. You must not wait until the special educators announce their verdict but try to find out what problems your kid has in advance. Autism and other disabilities need extra attention from you and the experts in these matters.
If your child has a learning disability then special care must be provided to them for help. School authorities find this to be a serious liability.
They may stop the school psychologists from suggesting special education facilities in their evaluation reports of your kid. This may help the school authorities save a few bucks but it may prevent your child from getting proper education and guidance.
Consult a third party counselor or psychologist and get a detailed report about your kid’s disabilities. Also, opt for an Independent Educational Evaluation or IEE in a different district. Take the help of the best neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist to evaluate your kid’s condition.
Do your best to find out about special educators who are friendly and caring. You can talk with the parents of other kids with similar disabilities. Take the help of a special educator who will give particular recommendations regarding the education of your children.
A good special educator will confirm if your child is eligible for special education beyond doubt. If you let the district you live in conduct an evaluation of your child, keep in mind that you can choose not to give consent about specific tests.
Sometimes the schools run tests on specific areas that are not your child’s weak point. You may choose not to give consent for such unnecessary tests.
Ask the schools to use the accurate Childhood Autism Rating Scale or CARS test. Fill the forms yourself so that the evaluation is accurate. You may hire an advocate who understands the procedures of the eligibility tests and take them with you to attend the eligibility evaluation.
Summary:
It is your duty to make sure that your child’s evaluation has been done correctly and they receive special education facilities. Do not completely trust or rely on the school authorities and take necessary steps to maintain transparency in the evaluation procedures.
