This is just a quick and dirty discussion of the special education eligibility process from the perspective of someone who's been a special ed parent in the system, and is now a special ed professional.
Caveat: What I'm telling you now is reflective of one school district's process, in one particular state. While the general principles of the process hold true, the specifics are affected by where I work and where my kid's gone to school. I also do not work with severely disabled students, but with kids capable of functioning in the general education setting. Therefore I don't have experience with severe autism, mental retardation, or physical disabilities. My caseload includes kids with mild to moderate autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, and mild emotional disturbances.
Additional Caveat: The details also change from year to year. The generalities hold true, for the most part, but the Feds can and do issue procedural rules which affect the process.
With that, let's go take a quick and dirty look at the process, shall we?
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