How to Ask a Pennsylvania Public School to Evaluate Your Child for ADHD

Two Pennsylvania rulebooks, one child

Maybe a teacher has mentioned that your child drifts off during lessons, or homework that should take a short while turns into a nightly struggle. Asking the school to take a closer look is an ordinary and sensible step, and Pennsylvania gives parents a clear way to do it.

Two chapters of the Pennsylvania Code shape what happens next. Chapter 14 covers special education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Chapter 15 covers students who need related aids, services or accommodations under Section 504 but are not eligible under Chapter 14. Knowing which one you are asking about helps you write a clearer request.

ADHD can come up under either one. The federal IDEA definition of "other health impairment" names attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as one example of a health problem that can count, when it limits alertness in the educational environment and adversely affects a child's educational performance. This article is general information, not legal advice.

Chapter 14: asking for a special education evaluation

Under 22 Pa. Code § 14.123, parents may request an evaluation at any time, and the request must be in writing. The school must make its permission to evaluate form readily available for that purpose.

If you raise it out loud instead, for example with a teacher, counselor or principal, the rule says that person must give you a copy of the permission to evaluate form within 10 calendar days of your oral request. Putting it in writing from the start, with the date, keeps things simple.

The timeline runs from your signed consent. The initial evaluation must be completed, and a copy of the report presented to you, no later than 60 calendar days after the school receives your written consent. The days from the day after the last day of the spring term up to and including the day before the first day of the fall term are not counted.

You should also get the report before the team meets. The rule says copies of the evaluation report go to parents at least 10 school days before the IEP team meeting, unless a parent waives that in writing. When a child is evaluated for an other health impairment, the group that reviews the results must include a certified school psychologist.

Chapter 15: asking for a service agreement

Chapter 15 uses the term "protected handicapped student" for a student of school age who has a physical or mental disability that substantially limits or prohibits participation in or access to part of the school program, and who is not eligible under Chapter 14. The plan the school and parents sign is called a service agreement, a written list of the specific aids, services or accommodations the student will receive.

Under 22 Pa. Code § 15.6, parents request this in writing. The rule says parents should include available relevant medical records, and that the request should state, whenever possible:

• the specific reasons you believe your child is a protected handicapped student
• the specific related aids, services or accommodations you believe your child needs
• the changes you want, if your child already has a service agreement

What the district does after a Chapter 15 request

Within 25 school days of receiving your written request, the district must review what you sent and reply in writing. The reply must say whether the request is granted or denied, in whole or in part, and explain your right to meet with school officials and the procedural safeguards available to you.

"School days" has its own meaning in Chapter 15. It covers the district's academic year plus the 14 calendar days before it begins and the 14 calendar days after it ends. So the count can keep moving at the very edges of the school year.

If the district needs more information before it can recommend anything, it must ask you for additional medical records and for permission to evaluate. That request must be in writing, must name the procedures and types of tests it plans to use, and must tell you that you have the right to give or withhold written consent.

Where a private evaluation fits

A school evaluation and a private one answer different questions. The school is deciding eligibility and what your child needs at school. A private evaluation is one your family arranges to understand attention, learning and behavior more fully, at home as well as in class.

The federal IDEA rules say that if a parent shares an evaluation obtained at private expense, the school must consider the results, if the evaluation meets the school's criteria, in decisions about your child's education. For Section 504, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights says an outside independent evaluation may be one of many sources, and the school's committee decides how much weight to give it.

The Office for Civil Rights also says a medical diagnosis does not automatically mean a student can receive Section 504 services. The condition has to substantially limit learning or another major life activity. So before you pay for anything, ask the school what it already plans to assess and what an outside report would need to include.

How we can help

Locascio Wellness offers a child ADHD evaluation by secure video for young people who are physically located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Arizona during appointments. A parent or guardian arranges it and takes part. It usually involves an intake appointment, then one or two sessions, then the written report, which at the moment is usually ready about a month after the first evaluation appointment.

Evaluations are private-pay and are not billed to insurance. A sliding scale is available, and you can read about what evaluations cost. We cannot promise a school will accept a report or act on it, so please ask your district what it needs and share that with us before you book.

To start, use the short evaluation request form and note any school meeting dates, or book a free 15-minute consultation. Therapy is a separate service: therapists on our team offer child therapy and teen therapy by video as ongoing support. If your child is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. Locascio Wellness does not provide emergency services.