How to Refer Your Child for Special Education in Connecticut: The ED622 Form

Most Connecticut parents make their first request for a special education evaluation verbally — at a parent-teacher conference, in a phone call to the school counselor, or in an email to the classroom teacher. The problem is that a verbal request starts nothing. Connecticut's 45-school-day evaluation clock does not begin until the district receives a signed, written referral. Every day you wait to submit that written form is a day lost from the timeline the law sets for your child.

The form that matters is the ED622.

What Is the ED622 Form?

The ED622 is Connecticut's official Special Education Referral Form. It is the written document that formally notifies the school district that you are requesting an evaluation to determine whether your child has a disability and qualifies for special education services under IDEA.

Submitting this form is not a dramatic escalation. It is a standard procedural step. You are not accusing the school of failure, and you are not committing your child to anything. You are simply opening the evaluation process.

The form asks for:

• Student identifying information (name, grade, school, date of birth)
• Parent or guardian contact information
• A brief description of the concerns prompting the referral
• Your signature and the date

The district is required to send you an acknowledgment of receipt. Keep that acknowledgment. It is your proof of the date the 45-school-day clock began.

Why the Written Referral Is So Critical

Connecticut enforces a strict 45-school-day timeline from the date the district receives your written referral to the date the IEP (if the student is found eligible) is implemented and services begin. This is stricter than the federal IDEA standard, which allows 60 calendar days.

In January 2020, the Connecticut State Department of Education issued revised guidance making clear that districts may no longer rely on the longer federal timeline. The 45-school-day rule is the only applicable standard in Connecticut.

The clock pauses during two specific windows — while the district waits for you to return the signed consent for the initial evaluation, and while it waits for your signed consent to begin services — with each pause capped at 10 school days. Outside of those pauses, the district must move.

If you have been waiting weeks or months after a verbal conversation with the school about an evaluation, the 45-school-day clock has not started. It begins only on the day the district receives the signed ED622 or another written referral.

Who Can Submit a Referral

A referral can be submitted by a parent or guardian, the child's classroom teacher, any school professional, or another qualified professional with knowledge of the child. As a parent, you do not need to wait for the school to suggest an evaluation. If you suspect your child has a disability that is affecting their education, you have the legal right to request one directly.

How to Get the ED622 Form

The ED622 form is available from your school district's special education office. Most Connecticut districts post it on their website under the special education or pupil services section. You can also ask the school's front office, the child's teacher, or the school counselor for a copy.

If you cannot locate the form, you can submit a written letter that serves the same function. The letter should include your child's name, grade, and school; your name and contact information; a clear statement that you are requesting a special education evaluation; and a brief description of your concerns. Sign and date it. Deliver it in a way that creates a record — email with a read receipt, certified mail, or hand-delivery with a date-stamped copy for yourself.

What Happens After You Submit the Referral

After receiving your referral, the district is required to:

1. Acknowledge receipt in writing
2. Schedule the initial PPT meeting to discuss your referral and determine whether an evaluation is warranted
3. If the PPT agrees an evaluation is appropriate, obtain your signed consent before proceeding
4. Complete the evaluation and convene a second PPT to review the results and determine eligibility
5. If the student is found eligible, develop the IEP and obtain your consent to begin services — all within the 45-school-day window from the original written referral

The Connecticut IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a 45-School-Day Tracking Matrix that walks you through calculating the exact date the district must complete each step, accounting for weekends, school holidays, and the two permitted consent pauses.

What the School Cannot Do

The school cannot refuse to evaluate your child simply because they are currently receiving general education interventions through Connecticut's SRBI (Scientific Research-Based Interventions) framework. SRBI is Connecticut's version of Response to Intervention — a tiered support system used before special education identification. While participation in SRBI tiers is common and often helpful, the district cannot use a child's placement in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 SRBI intervention as justification to delay or deny your evaluation request.

State guidance is unambiguous: if a parent submits a written referral, the 45-school-day clock begins regardless of the student's current SRBI tier.

The school also cannot require you to exhaust general education interventions before they will accept a referral. That is a common point of friction, particularly for families in Alliance Districts where staffing pressures are severe. If the school tells you they want to "wait and see" how the current interventions work before referring your child for evaluation, submit the written referral anyway. The clock starts on receipt — the district's willingness is not a precondition.

After the Referral: Building Your Documentation File

The evaluation process is just the beginning of the paper trail every Connecticut special education parent needs. Start a physical or digital folder the day you submit the ED622. Include the form itself, the district's acknowledgment, any written communications about the evaluation timeline, and copies of any assessments or reports the district provides.

If you reach the point where the district has missed the 45-school-day deadline, or where you disagree with the evaluation results, your documentation file is what makes a state complaint or an Independent Educational Evaluation request viable.

The Connecticut IEP & 504 Blueprint provides the templates, tracking tools, and procedural knowledge to navigate the referral-to-IEP pipeline from start to finish.

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