Prior to conducting an initial evaluation, informed parental consent must be sought.
According to the Area Education Agency Special Education Procedures (July 1, 2012), informed consent means:
- The parent has been fully informed of all information relevant to the evaluation in his/her native language or other modes of communication.
- The parent understands and agrees in writing to the evaluation as described in the consent.
- The parent understands that the granting of consent is voluntary on the part of the parent and may be revoked at any time.
- If the parent revokes consent, that revocation is not retroactive.
A comprehensive evaluation must consider the following seven domains:
- Academic
- Behavior
- Physical
- Health
- Hearing/vision
- Adaptive Behavior
- Communication
Consideration of these seven domains ensures that the evaluation is comprehensive and addresses the child’s needs.