It is not unusual for our office to receive calls enquiring about Dr. Beaulieu’s availability to conduct an IEE, which stands for Independent Educational Evaluation. Typically, an IEE is requested when parents do not agree with the school’s assessment and therefore, are asking for an independent assessment of their child’s abilities at public expense. These assessments can focus on very specific areas of functioning, or cover many different areas of functioning and learning.
When parents call our office to begin this process, the first step is to determine whether the school district staff has agreed to the IEE. It is then crucial to determine the parameters of this assessment and whether Dr. Beaulieu would be able to assist in this process after reviewing the parameters set by the school district, talking to parents, and obtaining preliminary information about each particular case. In the event that we are able to conduct the IEE, we may contact the school district to inform them that parents have selected Dr. Beaulieu to assist with the evaluation. In most cases, we receive a response from the school district within a few days and are then able to schedule the assessment, if appropriate. Depending on the age and reason for the IEE, Dr. Beaulieu may conduct a school observation as part of this process.
If you have questions regarding our office procedures surrounding an IEE, please contact us at your earliest convenience.
Parents and interested parties are encouraged to read about IEE’s by exploring the following resources:
- Wrightslaw: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/eval.iee.steedman.htm
- Michigan Alliance for Families: http://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/education/iee/
- Michigan Department of Education (page 16): https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice_550307_7.pdf