In order to get your student an Individual Education Plan (IEP), it helps if you know about IEP assessment examples.
In order for a student to be found eligible for and to receive IEP supports and services, the school must start with testing the student in all suspected areas of disability. Sometimes parents have private assessments that say the child qualifies for an IEP. While this information can be helpful in getting the process started, it will not take the place of the district doing its own testing.
Here is a list of some of the more frequently used IEP assessment examples:
-Hearing and vision
-Psychological testing including assessments for: cognitive development, autism, anxiety, OCD, attention, auditory processing, visual processing, phonological processing, dyslexia, or dysgraphia
-Development—used for early childhood and adaptive behavior
-Academics including academic performance assessments, reading, tests used through the entire school such as CAASP, CAA
-Gross motor testing such as physical therapy, adaptive physical education
-Occupational therapy testing for handwriting, sensory, and fine motor
There are other tests that can be included in the IEP although are not typically used in determining eligibility:
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
Assistive Technology (AT) assessment
Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) assessment
Special Circumstances Instructional Aide (SCIA) assessment (what most people refer to as a 1 to 1 aide)
There are very few students who need testing in all of the areas listed above. The school team will make a decision on which tests they think are relevant and necessary for your student, and then send you a form asking for your consent to assess in those areas. Review the areas they have checked carefully, and make sure that they cover all of your concerns about your child. If not, go ahead and sign and date so that they can get started but also check the box that asks the team to consider testing in other areas and write those areas of concern on that line.
For help at your child’s next IEP meeting, more information about our special education advocacy services, or for a FREE 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you, call or email today!
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