Assessments and evaluations are a critical part of treatment – it identifies the nature and extent of your child’s disability. Before your child can begin receiving special education services, the child must be deemed “eligible” for an IEP or IPP. The first step is an assessment in all areas of known or suspected needs by the Regional Center and the school district. Evaluations are conducted by trained professional(s) utilizing a combination of standardized testing, observation, parent questionnaires, and review of previous reports. The findings are made available for the use by the IEP /IPP team. The evaluation should identify areas of strength and weakness, and will serve as the starting place/ baseline of your child’s functioning from which the progress towards annual goals is measured. The evaluation should also determine the type of services to be offered and the intensity of therapy which your child will receive over the coming year. If done on an annual basis, it should reveal how far your child has progressed over the past year.