Department of Special Education

Department of Special Education
9525 Highland Road, Howell, MI 48843
Ph: (810) 626-2102 Fax: (810) 626-2103

Questions About Eligibility

Special education is specifically designed instruction, at no costs to the parent, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.

Why Would My Child Need An Evaluation?

An evaluation is completed to answer these questions:

Does the child have a disability that adversely affects his/her educational performance?
How is the child currently performing in school?
What are the child's educational needs?
Does the child need special education programs and/or related services?
What accommodations or modifications, if any, are needed to enable the child to meet annual goals in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and participate, as appropriate, in the general curriculum?

What Are The Steps In The Evaluation Process?

Anyone who is concerned with a child's educational performance, including parents, teachers, social workers, physicians, or representatives of other agencies, may refer a child suspected of having a disability. Before a child is evaluated for a suspected disability, the school must notify the parent and describe any evaluation the school proposes to conduct. The parent must give informed consent for the child to be evaluated by signing the Evaluation Review form.

The next step involves gathering and reviewing existing information on the child by an IEP Team. This includes consideration of current classroom assessments, observations, and information provided by parents and school staff. Additional assessments may be given depending on the suspected disability concerns as specified on the Evaluation Review form. The school has 30 school days to complete an initial evaluation and hold the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting.

How Is A Child Evaluated For A Disability?

A team called the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) will conduct the initial assessment of the child's strengths and needs by reviewing and analyzing all available information about his/her suspected disability, including school records, aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical conditions, adaptive behavior, medical history, parent input, and other considerations as appropriate. The testing is done individually in the child's native language. The standardized tests must be used correctly and fairly and be administered by trained, knowledgeable personnel.

Who Decides If A Child Is Eligible For Services?

After the evaluation has been completed, the MET/IEP Team, consisting of qualified professionals and the parent, will analyze the written evaluation reports and decide if the child has a disability that adversely affects his/her educational performance, and is eligible for special education services. The MET/IEP Team completes a MET form to identify eligibility in preparation for an IEP. Both the MET and IEP are held in conjunction with another.

Who Is "A Child With A Disability"?

The definition includes the following qualifications:

Children from birth through the age of 25 who have not graduated with a regular high school diploma
Children who have the characteristics for a specific disability as defined in the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MAARSE). Eligibility categories include Autism (ASD), Cognitive Impairments (CI), Deaf-Blindness (DB), Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD), Emotional Impairment (EI), Hearing Impairment (HI), Specific Learning Disability (LD or SLD), Other Health Impairment (OHI), Physical Impairment (PI), Severe Multiple Impairment (SXI), Speech & Lanugage Impairment (SLI), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Visual Impairment (VI).
Children who, because of that disability, need special education and related service support.