SD evaluation vs. private evaluation

[MissVic]

Hi there,
Please bear with me, I'm new to all of this so if this topic has already been covered I apologize in advance.

Have I heard something about the SD having to pay for your private evaluations in some circumstances?

Can you guys let me know what you know?

Thanks so much!

p.s. this is a question for my girlfriend...her stepson is in 3rd grade, if that helps clarify anything.

Martie, he's in district 204 (Naperville).

 

[linda3]

All I know for sure is that if you request an evaluation (or they request it- whatever- if an full and individual evaluation is done) and you disagree with the assessment- you can request an IEE (independent education evaluation I think) and they can agree to do that and they pay for it- or they can disagree and you'd have to go thru due process and a court hearing and such to see if they agree that it's needed and if they did- then the school district would have to pay for the evaluation.

So those are the circumstances in which they can, in some cases, pay for private evaluations- if they do the evaluation, you disagree and request an IEE, and either they agree to do that or they go thru due process and are told they have to do that.

 

[Martie]

Linda's answer is correct, except you would not end up in court. Either the SD will do it or they will appeal to a Hearing Officer who will decide if it is to be done at public expense.

In any event you can always get an IEE and pay for it. The SD MUST consider the results and many parents prefer this if it is financially possible because they want to choose the evaluators with the specialties in their child's area of problem.

Martie

 

[linda3]

Okay I meant go before a hearing officer and said court hearing. LOL I'm goofy that way I guess. Wasn't thinking- sorry. Martie is, ofcourse, correct.

 

[SRL]

Something to keep in mind if you are considering pushing the SD to pay for private evaluations. If they do that, they have immediate access to the reports generated by those diagnosticians. When I pay for the evaluation, I don't authorize the SD to immediately get a copy too. I first review it and then if I agree, I hand deliver it. If the SD paid diagnostician comes to a different conclusion then there's no room to hold it off from them such as would be with private evaluations.

 

[MissVic]

Thanks, everyone.

I posed the question for a girlfriend of mine. I'll pass along the info to her.

 

[Martie]

SRL is also correct. This is one reason I always had my ex-difficult child evaluated privately FIRST but did not release until I saw the SD's.

"You show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Martie

 

[MissVic]

That definitely makes sense. I'll do the same with my evaluations.....