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Question
The Behavior Specialist at school recommended our child be assesed for PDD-NOS. The guy that performed the full evaluation performed the CARS test. The test score was 33, showing mild to moderate autism. However, the evaluator stated that in his opinion, she is not autistic because she barely fell into autism spectrum. He attributed her low IQ as the reason for not diagnosing her with autism. If our child scored in the autism range, can the school deny her autism eligibility? TPMHMR diagnosed her MR as primary and autism. Her psychiatrist also diagnosed MR and PDD-Nos. School is denying her autism eligibility.
Tim (good name),
Legally thee test results speak for themselves. The opinion of the assessor is not the deciding factor. If the assessor feels the results are not representative of the student, he or she needs to perform some other assessments. "Barely falling into the autism spectrum" is like being a little pregnant. If you have a medical diagnosis of autism, this should demonstrate that the school's test results are correct.
Legally the school can: deny an eligibility of autism; make autism the primary or secondary eligibility; or perform more assessments. If they deny this eligibility given the test results and a medical diagnosis, you can file for Due Process against them.
Hopefully, they will see the light.
I wish you and your daughter the best,
Tim Runner, Education Advocate
You can learn more at my web site:
www.special-education-answers.com
www.education-advocates.com (for DSL and phone)
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| Comment | Tim, thank you very much for answering my question. So many times I have went through the process of asking questions over the internet without ever receiving an answer. Not only did you completely answer my question, very professionly, but you answered very quickly. Thank you again. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Tim Runner
Expertise
Questions concerning autistic student special education: IEP, assessments, Due Process, mediation, resolution conference, federal law, state law, qualifying for services, residential treatment, special day classes, resource specialists, procedures, having your child assessed, adaptive PE, speech & language, non-public school, FAPE, tuition reimbursement for private schools and treatment centers .
Experience
I have been an education advocate representing students and parents for six years. My experience includes: representing my clients in IEPs, SSTs, Due Process, review assessment results for my clients and for other advocates, and mediations. I have represented clients with learning disabilities, autism, Downs Syndrome, cognitively challenged, emotional problems, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, and physical disabilities. I have also represented clients to County Mental Health Departments and Regional Centers. My clients range from pre-school to college students in California and various other states.
Education/Credentials
I have a degree in Mathematics from the University of California with minors in Psychology and Physics. I also studied applied statistics in the field of psychology at both the undergraduate and graduate level. I have taught college classes, conducted seminars, written articles for various publications, and testified as an expert witness.
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