Quick Answer: An Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) is a private, comprehensive special education assessment conducted by a qualified professional outside of the public school system. To get one at public expense, you must formally write to your school district stating that you disagree with their recent assessment and are requesting an IEE. The district must then either fund the IEE or file for due process.
You should request an IEE immediately after reviewing a district assessment that you feel is incomplete, inaccurate, or fails to identify your child's suspected disabilities (such as missing a dyslexia or autism diagnosis). You generally have a two-year statute of limitations from the date of the disputed assessment.
Under the IDEA, the school district's IEP team is legally required to 'consider' the findings of an IEE. While they are not automatically mandated to adopt every single recommendation verbatim, a rigorous, legally defensible IEE report makes it extremely difficult for a district to justify denying the recommended services in a due process hearing.
Parents should remember these key points:
Speak with an experienced Licensed Educational Psychologist to discuss your child's case.
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