When your child faces challenges at school—whether it’s with reading, math, paying attention, or making friends—it can be heartbreaking. You might notice their confidence slipping and wonder what steps you can take to help. Thankfully, there are ways to get a clearer picture of your child’s needs and the support that could make a difference. Requesting an initial evaluation for special education is a powerful first step in understanding your child’s needs and finding the right support. This blog post will walk you through each part of the process so you feel prepared and confident advocating for your child's needs.
What is an Initial Evaluation for Special Education Services?
An initial evaluation for special education services is a series of tests that help the school understand your child’s strengths and identify areas where they may need extra support. It’s the school's first formal step to see if your child qualifies for special education services. These assessments cover different areas—such as academics, behavior, social skills, and emotional well-being—to pinpoint any challenges and determine how the school can best support your child’s success.
An initial evaluation is sometimes requested by a teacher or school staff who notice your child is struggling more than expected, but this is not always the case. Often, the first to see a child struggling in school is the parent. Whether the school brings up concerns or you’re the first to notice your child’s struggles, you have the right to request an initial evaluation to better understand your child’s needs. Taking that first step might feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Every step you take helps you get closer to the support your child needs to thrive. Let’s look at how to begin your request for an evaluation and what you can expect along the way.
How to Begin Your Request for an Initial Evaluation for Special Education Services
Requesting an initial evaluation may feel daunting, especially if you’re
unsure of where to start or what to expect. But remember, each step you take brings you closer to understanding what’s holding your child back and opens doors to resources that may otherwise be unavailable. Let’s break down the process, starting with how to prepare for the request.
Step 1: Building a Strong Foundation for Your Request
The first and most vital step in requesting an initial evaluation is understanding where your child might need assistance. Children can face challenges in various areas, from academics to social interactions, so it’s helpful to clarify and document these concerns with concrete examples. Here’s how you can begin building this foundation:
Take our Understanding YOUR Child's Learning Challenges Quiz
Taking our brief Understanding YOUR Child's Learning Challenges
Quiz can help give you insights into areas where your child may be struggling, whether with academics, behavior, or social skills. This step provides a starting point for understanding your child’s unique needs, which can help guide your request for a formal evaluation.
Identifying Your Child’s Needs: Observe and Reflect
Before making your request, take some time to observe your child and consider where they might need extra support. Academic struggles, social challenges, and behavioral difficulties can all impact their daily experience, and as a parent, you have a unique perspective on how they manage homework and activities outside of school. Take time to reflect on what you learn through observation to help clarify your child's needs and the reason for your evaluation request. Here are a few ways to start gathering valuable insights:
Observe learning challenges: Look for areas where your child seems to struggle, such as reading, math, or following instructions.
Academic Challenges: Take note if your child struggles with reading, math, or writing tasks. For example:
Frequent errors on assignments, even after multiple attempts
Difficulty following multi-step directions
Avoidance or frustration when given challenging tasks
Behavioral Challenges: Behavioral issues can affect your child’s learning environment. Watch for:
Trouble focusing or following routines
Difficulty transitioning between activities
Frequent outbursts or signs of frustration during schoolwork
Social Challenges: Some children find social aspects of school more challenging than academics. Watch for:
Reluctance to participate in group activities or make friends
Difficulty maintaining friendships
Frequent conflicts with classmates
Document specific behaviors: Keep track of any behaviors or
emotions, such as frustration or avoidance that might signal underlying difficulties.
Reflect on teacher feedback: Review any notes or feedback from teachers that highlight areas of concern.
Understanding your child's specific challenges will help you approach the school with a clearer idea of why you’re requesting an initial evaluation for special education.
Step 2: Documenting Observations and Gathering
Evidence
Once you’ve observed and reflected on your child’s needs, document specific examples and gather evidence to support your request for an evaluation. This can include:
Schoolwork samples showing academic struggles
Teacher notes or feedback highlighting specific challenges
Incident reports if your child has had any behavioral issues
Having these concrete examples on hand will help you communicate clearly with school staff and provide additional support for your concerns. Once you’ve gathered this information, it’s time to organize it and draft a formal request.
Step 3: How to Write a Request Letter for an Initial Evaluation
When you’re ready to request an evaluation, drafting a clear, concise letter is essential. Here are key details to include in your letter to ensure your request for an initial evaluation is understood:
Your child's full name and grade level
Statement requesting a formal evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services
Specific areas of concern (e.g., academic, social, behavioral challenges)
Examples of observed difficulties or recent feedback from teachers, if applicable
Your contact information for any follow-up questions or scheduling
By including these details, you’ll help the school clearly understand the purpose of your request and your specific concerns for your child.
Pro Tip: Whenever possible, hand-deliver your request letter and ask for a date-stamped copy. This ensures the school acknowledges your request and can be useful in tracking response times.
Step 4: Organizing Communication and Information
Keeping a record of all correspondence and other information related to your evaluation request is essential. Make copies of your request letter, any responses from the school, and all communications back and forth. Creating a
binder with these documents—along with work samples, report cards, school and district test results, incident reports, and anything else you feel is relevant to your child’s school experience—can be incredibly helpful. Staying organized will make it easier to track timelines, follow up when needed, and have everything at your fingertips as you navigate this process. This small step now can make a big difference in feeling prepared and confident along the way.
Note: If you're overwhelmed or unsure you're on the right track and want personalized help, feel free to reach out to us. We'll connect you with one of our Parent Support Coaches. Click here to learn more about how they can help. We're here to support you every step of the way.
Step 5: What to Expect After Requesting an Initial Evaluation
After submitting your request, the school will send you an Evaluation Consent Form outlining the areas they plan to assess. Take time to review this form carefully, making sure it covers all areas where you think your child might need support. If something doesn’t make sense, don’t hesitate to ask questions.
The Evaluation Consent Form guides the school on which tests to administer, so it’s essential that it covers all areas of concern to give a complete picture of your child’s needs. If you feel anything is missing, contact the school to discuss or request adjustments before signing.
The evaluation cannot begin until they receive your signed Evaluation Consent Form, so this is your chance to ensure the assessments will address your child’s unique needs.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Requesting an initial evaluation for special education can be a big step, and it’s natural to feel a bit uncertain. However, by following these steps, you’re already on the path to ensuring your child receives the
support they need to thrive. Remember, this journey is a partnership between you and the school—working together is key to creating a successful plan for your child.
Additional Support: Roadmap to an Initial Evaluation
For parents looking for a step-by-step guide, our Roadmap to an Initial Evaluation is here to support you through the evaluation process. This do-it-yourself course provides all the tools to request an evaluation
with clarity and confidence. Each resource in the Roadmap is written in parent-friendly language, breaking down school jargon to make everything easy to understand. With our Roadmap, you'll feel prepared and empowered as you navigate the journey to getting the support your child deserves.
Here's a sample of some of the resources that come with our Roadmap:
Parent’s Reflection Journal: A guided journal to help you capture key observations about your child’s learning, behaviors, and strengths, making it easier to organize your thoughts and document specific concerns for school discussions.
Evidence Gathering Workbook: A practical workbook with tips for collecting and organizing essential documents, like school assignments, teacher notes, and personal observations, keeping all your records in one place.
Potential Areas of Assessment: An overview to help you understand the types of evaluations that may be part of the process and identify when to request additional assessments for your child.
Requesting an Evaluation Letter: Step-by-step guidance, including templates, to help you express your concerns clearly and effectively when requesting an evaluation.
Understanding Standard Scores, Percentiles, and Scaled Scores: A guide to help you interpret complex data in evaluation reports, making it easier to understand your child’s results and identify areas for support.
In addition, the Roadmap includes other helpful resources covering essential parts of the evaluation process, giving you a complete toolkit to guide you through this journey, such as:
How to Request Your Child's Evaluation Results
What to Expect During the Team Meeting
Tips for Making Your Team Meeting a Success
Each resource is crafted to help you feel prepared, informed, and confident as you advocate for the support your child needs to thrive.
The Roadmap to an Initial Evaluation provides the resources you need to help you feel prepared, informed, and confident to advocate for your child to receive an initial evaluation for special education services. However, if you feel that you’d benefit from more direct guidance, our Parent Support Coaches are here to provide one-on-one support, helping you confidently navigate each step.
With the right resources and support, you can confidently advocate for your child’s needs and secure the educational services they deserve to thrive.
Remember, you’re not alone in this journey—our team is here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re looking for structured guidance through our Roadmap to an Initial Evaluation or
one-on-one help from our Parent Support Coaches, we’re dedicated to helping you feel empowered and prepared.
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