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Request an Assessment

What if I am concerned about my child’s progress and development?

Parents can request an assessment at any time, and every SELPA and school district is required to have procedures in place to help locate students who may need special education services. The Tustin Unified School District actively seeks out individuals with exceptional needs, birth through age 21, including infants, preschoolers and children not enrolled in public school programs that reside in our geographic area.

If your child is not receiving special education services and you suspect there is a disability, please contact your child’s teacher, your local school, or the Tustin Unified Special Education office to discuss your concerns.

If your child is attending a Tustin Unified School District program, your child may be referred to a Student Study Team (S.S.T.) for review. The S.S.T. is represented by both general education and special education staff members who review student progress and suggest interventions and strategies to assist students within the general education program. It is highly recommended that the S.S.T. meet to review a student’s progress prior to developing an assessment plan for suspected disabilities. However, a Student Study Team is not a requirement to obtain an assessment.

Within 15 days of your request (not including summer break), you will receive either:

  • An Assessment Plan noting areas in which your child will be assessed, - or –
  • A notice that the district declines to assess with reasons given. You have the right to appeal this decision.

When a referral for a special education assessment is recommended, an assessment plan will be developed to include identified areas of suspected disability. You must receive a written notice from your school asking for your written, informed consent before any assessment begins, even if you have made a verbal request for an assessment. A copy of the Parents’ Rights will be included with the assessment plan. Once the District has received parental consent, the assessment must be completed, and an IEP (Individual Education Plan) team meeting must be held to discuss potential eligibility within 60 calendar days of the date of receipt of your written consent for assessment (not including holiday breaks in excess of 5 days).

If your child is under 2 years 10 months of age, please contact the Regional Center of Orange County for an intake interview.

Each year the Orange County Department of Education publishes a notice in the Orange County Register informing parents of their right to refer their child to their local school district to determine eligibility for special education services. Each school within the Tustin Unified School District, as part of its annual notification of parental rights and responsibilities, provides information regarding a parent’s right to request an educational assessment to determine eligibility for special education.