Special Education Evaluation in Indiana: How to Request One and What to Expect

You suspect your child needs special education services. Or you think the evaluation the school already conducted missed something important. Either way, you have a right to request a formal special education evaluation — and in Indiana, that right comes with specific timelines the school must follow under 511 IAC Article 7.

Who Can Request an Evaluation

Either the parent or the school can initiate a special education evaluation. If the school suspects a child may have a disability affecting their education, they have an obligation to evaluate — this is the "child find" duty under both IDEA and Article 7. But you do not have to wait for the school to notice. You can request an evaluation at any time, in writing.

Indiana parents often do not know they need to make the request in writing. A verbal request at a parent-teacher conference starts no clock. A written request — email is sufficient — creates a documented date and triggers the Article 7 timeline.

Indiana's Evaluation Timeline (Instructional Days)

Indiana uses instructional days, not calendar days, for its evaluation timelines. Instructional days are the days school is actually in session — excluding weekends, holidays, and breaks. A request made in late October, for example, would exclude Thanksgiving break when counting the days.

10 instructional days: After receiving your written request, the school must respond with Prior Written Notice (PWN) explaining whether they agree to evaluate or are refusing. If they refuse, the PWN must explain why, what data they relied on, and what alternatives they considered.

50 instructional days: After you give written consent to the evaluation, the school has 50 instructional days to complete the evaluation and hold a Case Conference Committee (CCC) meeting to discuss results. This is the full window — from consent through the CCC review.

In practice, 50 instructional days across a 180-day school year is roughly 27% of the school year — and more than two months of instruction. If a school is approaching that window without scheduling the meeting, follow up in writing.

What an Evaluation Must Include

An evaluation under Article 7 is not a single test. It is a comprehensive assessment across all areas of suspected disability. For a child suspected of having a learning disability, this typically includes:

• Academic achievement testing (reading, math, written expression)
• Cognitive/intellectual assessment
• Processing assessments (phonological, working memory, processing speed)
• Behavioral and social-emotional screening if relevant
• Review of educational history, grades, and teacher reports
• A speech-language screen (or full evaluation if communication is an area of concern)

For other disability categories — autism spectrum disorder, emotional disability, developmental delay, physical disability, traumatic brain injury — different assessment protocols apply. The evaluation must assess your child in all areas related to the suspected disability. A narrowly focused evaluation that misses relevant domains can be challenged.

You have the right to provide information the evaluators should consider: medical records, private therapy reports, outside assessments. Submit these in writing before the evaluation begins.

Requesting the Evaluation: What to Write

Your written evaluation request does not need to be a legal document. A clear email is sufficient. Include:

• Your child's name, grade, and school
• A statement that you are requesting a special education evaluation under IDEA and Indiana's 511 IAC Article 7
• The specific concerns that lead you to believe your child may have a disability
• Any relevant background: diagnoses, outside evaluations, history of academic difficulty

Send to the special education coordinator or director, not just the classroom teacher. Copy the building principal. Keep a copy of the email.

If the school does not respond within 10 instructional days, follow up in writing and note that you have not received a Prior Written Notice response to your evaluation request dated [date].

If the School Refuses to Evaluate

The school may refuse to evaluate if they believe the child does not have a disability or that the disability is not affecting educational performance. But refusal must come with a Prior Written Notice explaining their reasoning. If you disagree:

1. Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense — the school then must fund an outside evaluation or file for due process to defend its refusal
2. File a state complaint through the I-CHAMP system if the school is clearly violating its child-find duty
3. Consult IN*SOURCE or Indiana Disability Rights about your next steps

Do not accept a verbal "we don't think an evaluation is necessary." You are entitled to a written Prior Written Notice explaining exactly why.

After the Evaluation: The CCC Meeting

When the evaluation is complete, the school schedules a CCC meeting to review results, determine eligibility, and — if your child qualifies — begin developing the IEP. You will receive a copy of the evaluation report before the meeting.

Eligibility requires two findings: (1) the student has a disability in one of Indiana's recognized categories, and (2) the disability adversely affects educational performance. A diagnosis alone does not guarantee eligibility — the impact on education must be documented.

If you disagree with the evaluation findings, you can request an IEE at public expense immediately after the CCC meeting. The school has 10 business days to agree to fund it or file for due process to defend its evaluation.

IN*SOURCE (1-800-332-4433) can help you understand evaluation reports and prepare for the eligibility CCC. If the school is refusing to evaluate a child who clearly needs assessment, Indiana Disability Rights (IDR) (1-800-622-4845) can intervene.

The Indiana IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes a sample evaluation request letter, an evaluation review checklist, and a guide to what to do at the post-evaluation CCC — all written for Indiana families working under Article 7.

Get the complete toolkit for Indiana families

One Important Note on Private School Students

If your child attends a private school on Indiana's Choice Scholarship, they are not entitled to a full special education evaluation under IDEA. Instead, they receive a Comparable Services and Evaluation Plan (CSEP) governed by 511 IAC 7-49. The CSEP process is different from the full Article 7 evaluation process, and the rights are more limited. If your child is on a voucher and you believe they have a disability, consult with IN*SOURCE or IDR before assuming the same rights apply.

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