An evaluation must be sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related service needs, must be conducted in a non discriminatory way and tests must be validated for the purpose for which they are being used.  All assessments must be provided and administered in the language or form of communication with which the child is most comfortable, unless it is clearly not possible to do so.  Evaluations must also include all areas related to the suspected disability. This could include, if appropriate: health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status and general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities.

For children over three and younger than 21, the school district has 45 school days to complete the evaluation process and determine whether or not a child is eligible for special education services.  This 45-day timeline starts when a written referral is received by school personnel.