How to Request an IEP Evaluation in New Hampshire: The Exact Steps That Start the Clock

You can request a special education evaluation for your child at any time. The process is simpler than most families expect—but the details matter, because what you say and who you say it to determines whether New Hampshire's strict legal timelines kick in immediately.

Why Written Requests Are the Only Requests That Count

A verbal conversation with your child's teacher—even a detailed one—does not start any legal clock. Neither does a note sent home in a folder, an email to a classroom aide, or a question at a school event.

The clock starts when the SAU's Special Education Director (or the superintendent's designee) receives a written referral. From that moment, the district has 15 business days to convene a meeting to determine whether to proceed with an evaluation. If they do not, they are in violation of Ed 1107—New Hampshire's governing rule for the evaluation process.

This is not a technicality. It is how New Hampshire parents maintain leverage throughout the process: every step generates written documentation with timestamps, creating a paper trail that can be used in later dispute resolution.

Who to Address Your Request To

Do not send your evaluation request only to the classroom teacher or building principal. Address it directly to:

The SAU's Special Education Director (sometimes called the Director of Student Services)

Every New Hampshire SAU must have a Director of Special Education at the administrative level. This person—not your child's teacher, not the building principal—holds administrative authority over the evaluation and IEP process.

You can address a copy to the principal and teacher as a courtesy, but the primary recipient should be the Special Education Director. If you don't know who that is, call the SAU central office and ask.

What Your Request Must Include

Your written evaluation request does not need to be formal legal language. It needs to be clear, direct, and sufficient to put the district on notice that you are requesting a comprehensive evaluation and believe your child may have a disability that requires special education services.

Include:

• Your child's full name, date of birth, school, and grade
• A description of the concerns that lead you to suspect a disability (academic difficulties, language delays, behavioral challenges, attentional problems, social-emotional concerns, motor issues—whatever applies)
• A clear statement that you are formally requesting a comprehensive special education evaluation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and New Hampshire's Ed 1107
• A request for the district's response in writing, including whether they will evaluate and the proposed timeline

Keep it to one page. You do not need to cite every law or list every assessment you want—the district is required to assess all areas of suspected disability, so comprehensive language in your request is enough.

How to Send It

Send your request in a way that creates a timestamp. Options:

• Email with read receipt (to the Special Education Director's work email)
• Certified mail (creates a USPS timestamp and delivery confirmation)
• Hand-delivered to the SAU office with a date-stamped copy for your records

Keep a copy of everything you send. Note the date the request was sent and the date you received confirmation it was received.

A Sample Evaluation Request

Dear [Special Education Director's Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I am the parent/guardian of [Child's Full Name], currently enrolled in [Grade] at [School Name] (DOB: [Date]).

I am writing to formally request a comprehensive special education evaluation for [Child's First Name] under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and New Hampshire's Ed 1107 rules. I have significant concerns about [Child's First Name]'s [describe concerns briefly—e.g., reading development and attention, behavioral challenges affecting classroom participation, language development, etc.], and I believe these concerns may reflect an unidentified disability that requires specialized instruction.

I am requesting that all areas of suspected disability be evaluated, including [list if known—e.g., academic achievement, cognitive processing, speech-language, and social-emotional functioning].

Please provide me with a written response confirming receipt of this request, the district's determination of whether to proceed with an evaluation, and, if you agree to evaluate, the timeline for completing the evaluation and returning results to me.

Thank you for your attention to this request.

[Your Name] [Your Contact Information] [Date]

What Happens After You Submit the Request

Within 15 business days, the district must convene a meeting to discuss the referral. At this meeting, the team—which must include you—determines whether there is sufficient reason to proceed with an evaluation.

If the team agrees to evaluate, they will provide you with a Consent to Evaluate form. When you return that form signed, the 60-calendar-day evaluation window begins.

If the team declines to evaluate, they must provide you with Written Prior Notice explaining the basis for their decision, citing the data they relied on. If you disagree with the decision not to evaluate, you can:

• Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense to establish that a disability exists
• File a state complaint with the NHDOE if you believe the refusal violated Ed 1107
• File for mediation or due process

When the District Tries to Slow Down the Process

Some districts respond to evaluation requests with procedural stalling: "We need to complete RTI tiers first," "We'd like to schedule a pre-referral meeting," or simply—no response.

None of these responses are legally permissible after a written evaluation request has been received. If the district has not convened a disposition meeting within 15 business days, send a follow-up letter referencing the date of your original request, noting that the 15-day timeline has passed, and requesting an immediate meeting date.

If the delay continues, escalate to a state complaint filed with the NHDOE Bureau of Special Education. The NHDOE investigates timeline violations, and a corrective action finding will compel the district to act.

The New Hampshire IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a fill-in-the-blank evaluation request template, a timeline tracking sheet for Ed 1107 deadlines, and guidance on what to do if the district refuses to evaluate or delays past the statutory windows.

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