A Parent’s Guide to School Evaluations for Learning Differences and Disabilities
Understanding the Process, From a Therapist/ Former Educator’s Perspective
After spending over 13 years in Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meetings as a special education teacher, instructional coach, and ARD facilitator, I’ve sat on the other side of the table from countless parents. I’ve seen the confusion, the worry, and the relief that can come from understanding your child’s needs. As a therapist, I see the time, efforts and great lengths that parents go to in order to support their children. Learning about the evaluation process can be an important step in ensuring that your child gets the educational support that they need.
Before any ARD meeting or support plan can begin, though, there’s one crucial first step: the evaluation.
What Schools Can Evaluate
Schools can evaluate students for a wide range of disabilities and developmental differences, including:
Speech impairments
Intellectual disabilities
Learning disabilities (including dyslexia)
Autism
Developmental delays
Emotional or behavioral disturbances
If your child has physical, visual, or hearing impairments, the school can also coordinate with medical professionals to gather that information.
For children with ADHD or other health-related conditions, the school may consider eligibility under “Other Health Impairments.”
It’s important to know that schools evaluate for educational need, not just diagnosis. This means that even if your child has certain characteristics of a disability, such as Autism, they may not qualify for special education services if those traits are not currently impacting their academic, social, or behavioral performance at school.
If you strongly suspect a diagnosis and the school evaluation does not find your child eligible, that doesn’t necessarily mean your child doesn’t have that condition. It may simply mean that they don’t require school-based support at this time. In that case, you can always seek a medical or private evaluation through your physician.
(You can explore the full list of disability eligibility categories here: SPEDTex Resources on Disabilities)
When You Already Have an Outside Diagnosis
If your child already has a diagnosis, such as Autism or ADHD from a medical professional, you can share that documentation with the school. The school will review your child’s medical reports alongside their classroom performance data to determine whether an educational need exists.
A medical diagnosis alone doesn’t automatically qualify a child for special education services. However, if the school agrees that the diagnosis impacts learning, they will begin developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to support your child’s success.
If your child doesn’t meet the criteria for special education, they may still qualify for a 504 plan, which provides accommodations and supports within the general education setting.
(You can learn more about Section 504 plans here: Texas Education Agency – Section 504)
How to Request a School Evaluation
Before submitting a formal request, it helps to gather as much information as possible. Start by looking at:
Teacher feedback and classroom observations
Report cards and progress reports
Assessment results
Your own observations at home
Age-appropriate milestones for younger children
Once you have your data, decide what specific areas you’d like evaluated, whether it’s reading, attention, communication, or social skills and make a formal written request to your child’s school (typically to the school diagnostician or special education coordinator).
Here’s what to expect from the process:
15 school days: Once the school receives your request, they have 15 school days to respond. (School days count only when school is in session, not weekends or holidays.)
Consent to evaluate: If they agree to move forward, you’ll receive consent forms to sign
45 school days: After you give consent, the school has 45 school days to complete the evaluation. Due to high demand, most schools use nearly the full timeline.
30 calendar days: Once the evaluation is finished and signed, the school must schedule an ARD meeting within 30 calendar days to review the results with you and the committee.
This process can take time, but understanding each step can help you feel more confident and prepared. Also, keep in mind that timelines can change based on laws so always verify the timelines with the sources for the most up to date information.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what to expect from the evaluation process, you’re ready for the next stage: the ARD meeting, where results are reviewed, and next steps are determined.
Look out for the next post, we’ll walk through how to prepare for your ARD meeting, what questions to ask, and how to ensure you and your child’s voices are heard.
