Assessments are the basis for special education eligibility, placement, and service decisions. The assessments will be done by professionals who have had specialized training and required certification/licensure, e.g. SLP, RST, OT, School Psychologists, School Nurse, etc. General education teachers and parents, who know students well, play a critical role in understanding a student’s academic strengths and struggles and are essential in the process of documenting/identifying areas of needs. When the school accepts a referral for special education, the child will receive a “full and individual initial evaluation” to determine if the child has a disability and what the child’s educational needs are. A full evaluation means that the child shall be assessed in all areas of suspected disability within 60 calendar days of parental consent received by the school via signature on an assessment plan (timelines adjusted for student breaks over 5 consecutive days).