Parent Advisory Committee - Washtenaw Intermediate School District

THE EVALUATION PROCESS – METAfter your consent is received, a team conducts an evaluation. This team is called theMultidisciplinary Evaluation Team or MET. The parent is an essential member of theevaluation team. You will be asked to provide information about your child because no oneknows your child like you do! The school personnel involved in a MET for your student willvary, depending on the suspected area(s) of disability. Staff members who frequentlyparticipate include: teacher, teacher consultant, school psychologist, school social worker,speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school nurse, etc.Based upon the individual needs of your student, one or more of these areas could beevaluated:‣ Cognitive/Intellectual (knowledge or thinking).‣ Academic (educational skills such as reading, math, spelling, etc.).‣ Motor-Visual-Auditory (control, coordination and responses of all parts of the body,sensory).‣ Social-Emotional (feelings and social adjustment).‣ Speech and Language (understanding and using language skills).‣ Adaptive Behavior (the ability to perform social roles as expected in various areas ofdaily living).‣ Development (child’s pattern of growth).‣ Health (physical conditions interfering with school performance).The evaluation team will assess your student’s strengths and needs. It reviews and analyzesall available information about your student’s suspected disability, including school records,aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical conditions, adaptivebehavior, medical history and other considerations, as appropriate. The evaluation team alsoreviews and analyzes information that only you can provide about your child so you may wishto share with the team results from any outside evaluations. Your input makes a difference.During this evaluation process, you, as the parent, have the right to:♦ Have an initial evaluation completed within 30 school days after the school has receivedyour written permission to evaluate.♦ Request a copy of any reports before the IEP team meeting so you may read them andprepare any questions or comments.♦ Have more than one test or evaluation procedure used to determine eligibility and theappropriate educational support for your student.♦ Be assured testing does not discriminate on the basis of language or culture.♦ Have any evaluations you may have obtained elsewhere be considered along with theschool district’s evaluation data.♦ Be notified of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report used in determiningeligibility and the need for special education supports.♦ An independent educational evaluation (IEE), which may be at district or your ownexpense, if you disagree with the school’s evaluation.8