Independent Assessments can provide a more detailed, non-biased evaluation of a child with autism. Many parents find value in obtaining outside independent assessments rather than solely relying on what is provided by a state agency and/or school district personnel who are directly responsible for providing services to their child.
Often, assessments performed by the party financially responsible for fulfilling the child’s needs can be lacking in detail or objectivity. It is important to note that this is not always the case for every child or every evaluation. In addition, caseloads for public agencies versus private agencies can vary and details can be lost if there are too many cases for too few public or private personnel in charge of them.
Parents who wish to obtain independent assessments from non-public agencies (NPA) can request these through their school district or state agency, or acquire the outside independent assessments on their own. In addition, parents must make their child available for assessments performed by the school district or state agency if either one is the responsible party for providing services.
Private agencies are typically credentialed professionals and have expertise with autism spectrum disorders. These agencies typically will review the child’s detailed history and previous assessments, perform their own testing, go on school site visits, sometimes make at-home visits and observations, and will make final recommendations for appropriate programs and services. Typically, independent assessments and testing are followed by a detailed written report of their findings and recommendations unique to each child’s individual needs.
If parents do not agree with the program recommended or provided by their state agency or school district or they wish to obtain a more individualized program such as an in-home program, it is recommended that parents obtain INDEPENDENT outside evaluations of their children to indicate what programs or services would best fit into an appropriate education for each of their children. These independent assessments can determine the need for certain services that uniquely address each child’s individual needs.
Outside evaluations may or MAY NOT be covered for reimbursement from a state agency, school district or health insurance company. It is good to ask about reimbursement possibilities prior to ordering an outside evaluation. Outside evaluations are your key to understanding:
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Your child’s strengths/deficiencies
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How to make appropriate goals for your child over the next year
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And your child’s progress from each year to the next, when assessments are done on an annual basis.
Many Families Look to Independent Assessments For the Following Reasons:
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The school district/state agency is NOT providing the services or placement they should be providing or there is a disagreement about the level or quality of services currently provided.
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Progress is not happening with the current program(s) and or services.
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Parents want to have an outside assessment and testing performed by an agency other than the current agency, public and/or private, to compare the findings of a new assessment versus any previous assessments and to ensure programs currently offered are appropriate and best meet the needs of their individual children.
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There is a disparity between the goals a child is striving to achieve compared to goals he/she has already reportedly achieved, sometimes within multiple environments such as when a child is home or in school.
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Also, when a child experiences great difficulty in making progress and needs more specialized attention from a number of professionals (such as child neuropsychologist, behavioral specialist, speech pathologist, occupational therapists, etc.).
Obtaining outside independent assessments can provide a detailed view into a child affected by autism and his/her world. These report results are not just rows and columns of data but rather like a unique recipe card detailing the unique needs of each child with solid recommendations from on a professional for how to encourage the progress of each child and meet each of the child’s unique needs.
Many families budget for independent annual testing. These extra final reports each year can be a great asset for reassessing the needs of the child as he/she progresses.
Approximate pricing for assessments performed by different types of professionals are listed in the box above. Please note that pricing may vary by geographic area and by each professional’s credentials.
Some potential professionals to consider and approximate pricing can be:
|
Professional Type |
Approximate |
Approximate |
|
Child Neuropsychologist or developmental specialist |
$2,000 - $5,000 |
$1,500- $2,500 |
|
Speech pathologist |
$500-$1,000 |
$500-$1,000 |
|
Occupational therapist |
$500-$1,000 |
$500-$1,000 |
|
Behavioral assessment (typically by an ABA provider, PsyD or BCBA) |
$1,000-$3,000 |
$500-$1,000 |
Please note: pricing may vary by geographic area and professionals credentials.
Assessment Notes
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Independent assessments are crucial for success in due process hearings.
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Health insurance providers will sometimes cover outside independent assessments. Parents need to check with their health insurance provider prior to scheduling an assessment. PPO coverage is more likely to cover these assessments over an HMO. It is important to obtain authorization from your health insurance provider prior to beginning an assessment! Without prior authorization, there are no guarantees for reimbursement. It is also recommended that you obtain written confirmation of any promise of reimbursement from your health insurance provider for your personal records.
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Parent Note: Final assessments and reports have been an invaluable tool for challenging my son’s current team of service providers and identifying my son’s strengths in building up his deficiencies. These final reports also provided important mile markers to our son’s progress over the years.
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See the Provider Directory to choose from a variety of TACA parent recommended service providers.
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Many providers may have wait lists for therapy and services but may schedule evaluations and testing without a wait list. Be sure to ask about assessments versus long-term services.
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The handy website of Stoelting Co., a scientific supplies company, lists most of the standardized tests for special needs children including children with autism. You can obtain a list of the specific tests of the assessment and testing to be performed from the professional in charge of your child’s assessment. You can also review each test’s guidelines with the professional reviewing your child’s case. Stoelting Co. details what professionals will be testing and the goals of each test.
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Each evaluation should include: testing, a full report,specific recommendations for placement, service type, level of services and a parent conference to review the results. The recommendations should be specific and unequivocal.
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When parents do not agree with the school district’s assessment, they can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). Be sure to make this request in writing. The school district must either agree to fund the IEE or file for due process to prove their assessment is adequate and appropriate “without unnecessary delay.”
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If there is a major disagreement concerning their child with autism, parents may wish to consult with a special education attorney to advocate for their child’s rights and help parents plan their next steps.
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If an assessment and report will be used to define required services, then they need to be provided to all parties involved prior to any official meeting with the school district or state agency. It is important to give all parties ample time to review the assessment and report prior to any scheduled meeting.
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If the assessments are not going to be used to define services, and were acquired and paid for by parents, these reports are not required for any official meetings.
- When selecting an independent evaluator for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), be sure this professional:
- Is recommended by other parents.
- Has educational experience (to the extent appropriate for the respective area of expertise).
- Will observe your child both at school, at home and, in any other relevant therapy or educational settings. Will also observe any classroom placement proposed by the school district.
- Will attend IEP meetings (in person or by phone).
- Will create appropriate goals/objectives for your child and has experience doing so.
