How to Request a Special Education Assessment in California

When a child is struggling at school, an assessment can help determine why and whether special education services may be needed. A clear written request creates a record of your concerns and helps the school understand the areas you believe should be evaluated.

Put the request in writing Describe the difficulties you are seeing and ask the school to evaluate all areas of suspected disability. Depending on the child, concerns may involve academics, speech and language, attention, executive functioning, social-emotional functioning, behavior, motor skills, sensory needs, or other areas affecting education.

Be specific about your concerns Include examples such as difficulty reading, frequent school avoidance, trouble communicating, unsafe behavior, limited progress despite intervention, or problems completing work independently. You do not need to diagnose your child in order to raise educational concerns.

Ask for a comprehensive evaluation Assessments should be selected to answer the questions raised by the child's suspected needs. Parents can ask what areas will be assessed, which professionals will conduct the evaluation, and what information each assessment is intended to provide.

Keep copies Save the written request and school responses. Keeping an organized record of communications, assessments, IEPs, progress reports, and work samples can be extremely helpful throughout the process.

If you are unsure what assessments to request or how existing records fit together, Dickerson Education Advocates can help you organize the information and prepare questions for your child's educational team.