Neuropsych eval: anyone get school to provide?

[cjcouple]

Kind of cryptic title.  lol

Has anyone gotten the school to provide or pay for a neuropsych eval? Would you mind sharing how you went about it?  Something my sons guidance counselor kind of threw out and mentioned via pedi recommendation.   I don't think she was supposed to necessarily say it, but said we could ask the asst supt when I asked for clarification.  Made me think, it may have been done prior by the district.     

I have strong suspicions my son has some memory retrieval or slow processing happening that is not related to his anxiety. Any experiences would be greatly appreciated.  Probably grasping at straws though. 

[joenali]

As a teacher we can only say things like “have you thought about seeing a pediatrician for this?” I have a student this year in which we had to talk to parents about seeing either a neurpsych or neurologist. In no way did we say that they have to go, only that they consider.

I honestly don’t think you can make a school pay for this type of appointment, unless the school messed something up on their end and said you NEED to go or did something wrong on the evaluation end.

If you do go and get an evaluation and there is a diagnosis make sure you give it to the school so they can get started on the iep process.

[cjcouple]

joenali, She definitely didn't say I had to. I called to discuss my sons lack of interest in school, and shared my suspicions about possibly have a memory retrieval or slow processing issue and we were just chatting. She did recommend asking my pedi. After that, I said, I would do what I could but I know those are expensive, and she said yeah, they are a lot but if you get a referral and speak with Asst Super? Or something like that.

It definitely seemed like a side/kind of help me out comment. When I pressed further, she said well, they can still say "no" because usually there has to be severe academic struggles, but call Mr.S for advice.
I'm probably reading more into it but they had brought in an outside clinical psych to evaluate my son when he was 100% mute in K. Most other parents on my Selective Mutism support group were shocked the school did that, I just figured I'd ask if anyone was successful.

[sunshineluv]

I am not sure this is what you are asking but we have been trying to get testing through the school and decided to go private. My son is almost 8 and his teacher has expressed concerns (private school). We went to his pedi who put in a referral to a child and family development center. We (just DH and I) met with a phycologist and went through my sons history. Next steps are tomorrow he is having a cognitive evaluation from the same phycologist we met with it will take 3 hrs. In a couple weeks he has another 3 hour screening for educational aspects. After that the two doctors meet and determine if he has any things that are hindering him (learning disability, processing disability etc). My sons main issue is he is very behind in reading.

I am thrilled to finally have a plan to find out if he needs additional help, or just more time. Although this is out of pocket and expensive ($2k).

I felt very lost before in trying to figure out where to go and what to do, the pedi was super helpful for us.

The pedi said the school will test but it is not a broad.

[devonpow]

I had testing done by the school for both of my sons. DS1 has a reading learning disability, and DS2 has anxiety. For both of them I put a request in writing (emailed the school guidance counselor) and by law they had to do the testing within 45 school days after receiving my written request. 

For DS1 his reading disability was definitely affecting him and I felt that the response thus far from the school in terms of reading suport had been inadequate. I also knew, for various reasons, that the school would push back on getting services for him. So for him I also did a private full neuro psych for him and came prepared at his IEP meeting with our own testing and with the psychiatrist who did the testing for us (FYI - the school does not care if you do private testing or not. They will always do their own testing regardless of what you have done privately). 

For DS2,who has anxiety. we were not as concerned with pushback from the school -  the help that I needed for him in school would not require an IEP but a 504, I knew he would be working with a private therapist regardless of what happened in the school  etc. So I wasn't as "prepared for battle" and we just had the school do the testing. I sat down with the guidance department and his teacher at the time and they determined what tests specifically - it was not a full neuro psych. 

For both of my kids the school did not/could not suggest the testing to us. It was something we determined was needed. But schools are required to provide testing if you request it. For certain situations I definitely recommend also doing the full testing privately It is expensive but worth it. 

[devonpow]

Also, it sounds like you are unsure if the school will do it or not. They are required by law (assuming this is a public school) to provide testing upon written request. If you aren't sure who to request it from I would email the teacher and CC the guidance counselor and principal. They have to do testing within 45 school days and have a meeting with you to discuss results and potential services within 60 (I think) school days. So, they have to do it. However, it may not be a complete neuro psych evaluation - they may just test for the specific areas you are concerned about.

[imojoebunny]

This question was just ask on my local board. The answer was generally, no, they will not evaluate, but legally, they have to evaluate for learning disabilities. I have had no luck with getting any support for my DD's visual processing disorder. She now has a 504 for dyslexia. Your best bet is to start here with reading, and inform yourself, then send a request to the school in writing.

sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.304

www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/evaluation-rights/evaluation-rights-what-you-need-to-know

www.wrightslaw.com/info/tests.evals.crabtree.htm

www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.force.school.htm

www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/evaluation-basics/download-sample-letters-for-requesting-evaluations-and-reports

[daisy0721]

I am a school counselor and in my school district we will send a student for a neuropsych eval and the district pays for it. I usually along with our team send a request to our superintendent and he approves it. It is very difficult for parents to get appointments and this is done of immediate action is required.

[redheadk]

Jan 15, 2020 15:02:56 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Also, it sounds like you are unsure if the school will do it or not. They are required by law (assuming this is a public school) to provide testing upon written request. If you aren't sure who to request it from I would email the teacher and CC the guidance counselor and principal. They have to do testing within 45 school days and have a meeting with you to discuss results and potential services within 60 (I think) school days. So, they have to do it. However, it may not be a complete neuro psych evaluation - they may just test for the specific areas you are concerned about.

They are actually only required to respond. They can, upon reviewing data, decline to test.

[joenali]

Jan 15, 2020 17:51:18 GMT -5 redheadk said:

Jan 15, 2020 15:02:56 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Also, it sounds like you are unsure if the school will do it or not. They are required by law (assuming this is a public school) to provide testing upon written request. If you aren't sure who to request it from I would email the teacher and CC the guidance counselor and principal. They have to do testing within 45 school days and have a meeting with you to discuss results and potential services within 60 (I think) school days. So, they have to do it. However, it may not be a complete neuro psych evaluation - they may just test for the specific areas you are concerned about.

They are actually only required to respond. They can, upon reviewing data, decline to test.

Yes. I had a parent recently make a request. At first the school psych said no. I showed her all of the data I collected and then she changed her mind.

[cjcouple]

atexan thanks.

[cjcouple]

thank you all, I will definitely start with my pedi and see if she has any referrals. if I can get it partially covered by insurance, that's be great but with our luck they will not. Story of my life. insurance doesn't cover anything my kids need.

[devonpow]

Jan 15, 2020 17:53:25 GMT -5 joenali said:

Jan 15, 2020 17:51:18 GMT -5 redheadk said:

They are actually only required to respond. They can, upon reviewing data, decline to test.

Yes. I had a parent recently make a request. At first the school psych said no. I showed her all of the data I collected and then she changed her mind.

interesting! I don’t know anyone who has been declined testing and the school told me they were required to test, but maybe I misunderstood or maybe our school district does it differently. Good to know!

[joenali]

Jan 15, 2020 18:15:28 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Jan 15, 2020 17:53:25 GMT -5 joenali said:

Yes. I had a parent recently make a request. At first the school psych said no. I showed her all of the data I collected and then she changed her mind.

interesting! I don’t know anyone who has been declined testing and the school told me they were required to test, but maybe I misunderstood or maybe our school district does it differently. Good to know!

It sounds like there needs to be adequate data and interventions to necessitate an eval. Ive never had a parent request an eval before.

[atexan]

Jan 15, 2020 18:15:28 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Jan 15, 2020 17:53:25 GMT -5 joenali said:

Yes. I had a parent recently make a request. At first the school psych said no. I showed her all of the data I collected and then she changed her mind.

interesting! I don’t know anyone who has been declined testing and the school told me they were required to test, but maybe I misunderstood or maybe our school district does it differently. Good to know!

They're required to "respond" to the request if it's made in writing.  Most schools just respond by testing, since legally the burden is on them to identify a disability.  If they miss someone and it's discovered later they could be opening themselves up to all kinds of shit.

[kooshball]

I had one every three years when I was in school for a 504. The school is the one that called my parents though. This was a long time ago so maybe its changed now?

[joenali]

Jan 15, 2020 19:04:37 GMT -5 kooshball said:

I had one every three years when I was in school for a 504. The school is the one that called my parents though. This was a long time ago so maybe its changed now?

Only re-eval every 3 years for an iep, not a 504.

[imojoebunny]

Jan 15, 2020 18:07:09 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

thank you all, I will definitely start with my pedi and see if she has any referrals. if I can get it partially covered by insurance, that's be great but with our luck they will not. Story of my life. insurance doesn't cover anything my kids need.

Insurance did cover about half of my DD's two evaluations, but we already meet the pretty high family deductible each year due to other reasons.  The evaluations were $2K and $2.5k, for reference.  I do not regret the out of pocket, since it moved things forward much faster.  My kid has visual processing disorder, dyslexia, and dysgraphia.  In one district we were in, this did nothing for her, but that was 8 years ago, and lawsuits and legislation have made school systems sit up and take notice in recent years around here.  Services are still slow, because it is takes a while, and money, to retrain teachers and put resources in place.   I wish you the best of luck and willingness from the district.  To be clear, this is not a teacher issue, it is a systemic problem that most educational systems are dealing with, with the legal expansion of ADA and science based education for those with learning issues.  You will never regret advocating for your child.  Send a letter tomorrow requesting testing.  You have nothing to lose.  

[redwino]

Jan 15, 2020 15:02:56 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Also, it sounds like you are unsure if the school will do it or not. They are required by law (assuming this is a public school) to provide testing upon written request. If you aren't sure who to request it from I would email the teacher and CC the guidance counselor and principal. They have to do testing within 45 school days and have a meeting with you to discuss results and potential services within 60 (I think) school days. So, they have to do it. However, it may not be a complete neuro psych evaluation - they may just test for the specific areas you are concerned about.

This is not accurate and the timeline is state specific. A LEA legal must consider a parent request and respond in writing if they will or will not perform an evaluation. That written notice must include the reasons for the decision. Most districts will evaluate but IDEA gives the district the right to refuse. The district must also provide the parent with the procedures to file a formal complaint if they disagree with the decision, or anything else regarding sped policies and procedures.

[redwino]

Jan 15, 2020 13:43:07 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

joenali, She definitely didn't say I had to. I called to discuss my sons lack of interest in school, and shared my suspicions about possibly have a memory retrieval or slow processing issue and we were just chatting. She did recommend asking my pedi. After that, I said, I would do what I could but I know those are expensive, and she said yeah, they are a lot but if you get a referral and speak with Asst Super? Or something like that.

It definitely seemed like a side/kind of help me out comment. When I pressed further, she said well, they can still say "no" because usually there has to be severe academic struggles, but call Mr.S for advice.
I'm probably reading more into it but they had brought in an outside clinical psych to evaluate my son when he was 100% mute in K. Most other parents on my Selective Mutism support group were shocked the school did that, I just figured I'd ask if anyone was successful.

Are you in a small district? Many of our small districts contract out their eval services because it's cheaper than having related service providers on staff. The counselor's suggestion for you to speak to the asst. Superintendent makes me think that your district isn't a big organization. They could very well be contracting with a neuropsych.

Also, there are plenty of doctoral level school psychologists. About athird of my district's psychs are ph.Ds. The only thing that limits our school evaluations is budget and timelines. It's difficult to be thorough when you have no money for tests and you're racing against a clock.

Also states differ on scope of practice. In my state, both doctoral and masters level school psychologists can diagnose ADHD, autism, depression, etc. As long as they are practicing within an educational setting. In our u

And because I'm on a roll, diagnosis is not sufficient to qualify for special education services under IDEA. We must support with data that: 1. A disability is present. 2. The disability adversely affects the student's education. And 3. Due to those adverse effects, specially designed instruction is needed. Usually point 2 and/or 3 is what keeps a kid from qualifying for sped and bumps them to a 504. Also, 2 and 3 is what keeps little black and brown boys from being placed in self contained sped class by the dozens.

[cjcouple]

Jan 15, 2020 23:21:06 GMT -5 redwino said:

Jan 15, 2020 13:43:07 GMT -5 cjcouple said:

joenali, She definitely didn't say I had to. I called to discuss my sons lack of interest in school, and shared my suspicions about possibly have a memory retrieval or slow processing issue and we were just chatting. She did recommend asking my pedi. After that, I said, I would do what I could but I know those are expensive, and she said yeah, they are a lot but if you get a referral and speak with Asst Super? Or something like that.

It definitely seemed like a side/kind of help me out comment. When I pressed further, she said well, they can still say "no" because usually there has to be severe academic struggles, but call Mr.S for advice.
I'm probably reading more into it but they had brought in an outside clinical psych to evaluate my son when he was 100% mute in K. Most other parents on my Selective Mutism support group were shocked the school did that, I just figured I'd ask if anyone was successful.

Are you in a small district? Many of our small districts contract out their eval services because it's cheaper than having related service providers on staff. The counselor's suggestion for you to speak to the asst. Superintendent makes me think that your district isn't a big organization. They could very well be contracting with a neuropsych.

Also, there are plenty of doctoral level school psychologists. About athird of my district's psychs are ph.Ds. The only thing that limits our school evaluations is budget and timelines. It's difficult to be thorough when you have no money for tests and you're racing against a clock.

Also states differ on scope of practice. In my state, both doctoral and masters level school psychologists can diagnose ADHD, autism, depression, etc. As long as they are practicing within an educational setting. In our u

And because I'm on a roll, diagnosis is not sufficient to qualify for special education services under IDEA. We must support with data that: 1. A disability is present. 2. The disability adversely affects the student's education. And 3. Due to those adverse effects, specially designed instruction is needed. Usually point 2 and/or 3 is what keeps a kid from qualifying for sped and bumps them to a 504. Also, 2 and 3 is what keeps little black and brown boys from being placed in self contained sped class by the dozens.

Yes, fairly small. My town population is about 15k. Approx 200 students per grade. thanks for info.

[SusanBAnthony]

Do check on coverage. Ours was covered completely in MN and not at all in OH. OH even had a special program to reimburse us for the cost so I'm guessing it is common there. Whereas in MN they said all insurance covers them.