What if the school district won’t fund an assessment I request?

Parents may want to request less common Independent Educational Evaluations. According to Dr. Sarah Pelangka, it depends on the type of assessment. (An assessment for low vision is probably the most common request she sees that falls into this less-common category.) If a family wants to get reimbursed for an unconventional assessment, they need to provide evidence that their child has a need for a service resulting from that assessment. In addition, if families pay out of pocket for a service recommended by that assessor, and their child makes meaningful progress, they can seek reimbursement from the district for the expense of that service.

For more information, see our article about IEEs.