Can I request an inclusion assessment so my child can be more successful in gen ed?

You want an assessment of the environment. An ecological participation assessment will look at both the child's participation and the access that they have. The website Evolve and Effect has a sample report. You can ask the school district to hire an expert, but they have the right to use their own in-house teacher. Sometimes, you have to allow them to do their report and then request that they do an IEE. Some districts don’t see this as an assessment, but it is worth fighting for. Ask for the observations in multiple settings over time – a 20-minute classroom observation is not adequate.

This report can make a huge difference in the child’s experience. Focus on the recommendations of the report and have those put into the IEP. Training for collaboration is one of the important things that can come out of this report. You can put that in the IEP. Ask teachers, “If I can get you training, will you participate?” The National Down Syndrome Congress and Club 21 both offer great teacher training in inclusion.

For more information, see our full article Inclusion Specialist 101.