How do people know what related services a child needs?
The evaluation process is intended to provide decision makers with the information they need to determine: (a) if the student has a disability and needs special education and related services, and, if so, (b) an appropriate educational program for the student. It also allows them to identify the related services a student will need. Following the child’s evaluation and the determination that he or she is eligible for special education and related services, a team of individuals called the IEP team—which includes the parents and, where appropriate, the student—sits down and writes an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the student. The IEP team looks carefully at the evaluation results, which show the child’s areas of strength and need. The team decides what measurable annual goals (including benchmarks or short-term objectives), among other things, are appropriate for the child.
