Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) / Psychoeducational Evaluations
Psycheducational evaluations focus on your child's academic functioning based on their age, educational level, and cognitive abilities. This evaluation is usually recommended if your child is having difficulty learning in school (e.g. when a learning disability is suspected), but can also identify students with academic strengths (e.g. giftedness), uneven profiles (e.g. students who are twice-exceptional, 2e), or neurodevelopmental differences.
A psychoeducational evaluation will help identify your child's unique learning style, by measuring a range of cognitive skills such as reasoning and memory. Next, the cognitive profile will be compared to your child's academic achievement, in areas including reading, writing, and mathematics. Psychoeducational evaluations also assess social-emotional and behavioral needs that may impact your child's ability to learn in their school environment.
How We Can Help
If you, as the parent, disagree with the your child's school district evaluation, you have the legal right to challenge the results and request an IEE. Often, an IEE is paid for by the student’s school district, and the aim is to provide additional expertise and an objective opinion in order to best meet a student’s learning needs.
The Family Guidance and Therapy Center offers Independent Educational Evaluations for:
- Social/Emotional
- Speech and Language
- Occupational Therapy
- Cognitive
- Behavioral
- Adaptive Behavior
- Psychoeducational
Reasons to Request an IEE
The reasons for requesting an Independent Educational Evaluation are varied, these may include:
- You believe your child should receive special education services, but your district has told you they do not qualify.
- You disagree with the results or conclusions of the school district assessment.
- You believe that your child's IEP is not being implemented correctly.
- You disagree with the services offered by your child's school district.
- You believe that the results of a district evaluation or the recommendations of the IEP team are biased.
- You feel confused or have doubts about the report or recommendations you received.
- You would like an objective assessment from someone with expertise who will take the time to get to know your child.
At the Family Guidance and Therapy Center, our team will provide a comprehensive IEE designed to identify the specific learning needs of your child, and help guide those involved in your child’s education to a plan of action for helping them learn and grow.
Common Questions
How Does It Work?
Our multidisciplinary evaluation team includes our Licensed Clinical Psychologist, our Educational Psychologist, our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), our Occupational Therapist (OT), and our Speech and Language Therapist (SLT).
We assess cognitive abilities, academic skills, neurodevelopmental concerns (e.g. language, attention, and sensory-motor domains), as well as behavioral and social-emotional functioning.
Usually, you and your child will come into the clinic for two to three assessment visits, each lasting three to four hours. When relevant, we conduct school observations and meet with teachers, staff, and other professionals in the student's school. We may conduct a home observation when needed.
We will also be reviewing your child's records: previous evaluations and IEP and medical records.
How Long Does it Take?
These assessments can take up to six weeks, including report.
How Much Does it Cost?
*Cost varies depending on school district and travel requirements.
*Attendance at IEP meeting and school visits are included in the cost.
* Every diagnostic assessment is specifically tailored to the person, funding source and needs of the individual. Please give us a call and we can customize a plan and price point that will meet your needs.
Your health insurance may cover an evaluation for neurodevelopmental or psychological disorders (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, or Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder).
It is our goal to make this process as easy as possible for you, especially when it comes to paying for an assessment. We are prepared to accept insurance for all evaluations and will work with your insurance provider to help you qualify. In-Network Status is pending for all major health insurances, please call us for the most updated list. It is our goal to make this process as easy as possible for you, especially when it comes to paying for an assessment. We are in-network with several health insurance companies including Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, BlueShield of CA. This is list is growing every day.
We can also check your benefits for out of network costs. If you decide to use your out of network benefits, we will bill your insurance for you. No superbills or waiting on reimbursements. If you are uninsured, we are able to offer sliding scale fees or payment plans for those with financial hardship.
Technical Details
Sample IEE Assessment Battery for Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition Normative Update (KABC-2 NU): An individually administered measure of the processing and cognitive abilities of children and adolescents aged 3–18.
- Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 3rd Edition (KTEA-3): An individually administered battery that provides in-depth assessment and evaluation of key academic skills.
- Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition (MIGDAS-2): includes parent/caregiver and teacher participation, provides a sensory-based process for gathering and organizing the qualitative information needed to diagnose autism in children, adolescents, and adults.
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2): An instrument for diagnosing and assessing autism, consists of a series of structured and semi-structured tasks that involve social interaction between the examiner and the person under assessment.
- Behavior Assessment Scales for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3): A comprehensive set of rating scales and forms including the Teacher Rating Scales (TRS), Parent Rating Scales (PRS), Self-Report of Personality (SRP), Student Observation System (SOS), and Structured Developmental History (SDH).
- Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs): Uses video scenes of real people in social situations to assess an examinee's ability to understand and use pragmatic language, including nonverbal cues, as well as overall dynamics of social context.
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fifth Edition (CELF-5): Assesses reading comprehension, structured writing, and social language skills.
- Sensory Processing Measure (SPM): Provides a complete picture of children’s sensory functioning at home, at school, and in the community.
- Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3): Comprehensive behavior rating scale measures daily living skills.
- Social Responsiveness Scale™, Second Edition (SRS-2): Identifies the presence and severity of social impairment within the autism spectrum and differentiates it from that which occurs in other disorders.
