CRITERIA FOR AN INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION Revised March 4, 2014 Location Limitations for Evaluators Evaluators must be located within the greater Merced area, which is defined as Merced, Fresno, Kings, Madera and Stanislaus Counties. Evaluators outside of this area will be approved only on an exceptional basis if the parents can demonstrate the necessity of using such personnel outside the specified area. Costs beyond the evaluation (i.e., food, lodging, transportation, etc.) may not be covered in the cost of performing an independent evaluation. Minimum Qualifications for Evaluators As determined by the District, all assessments must be conducted by persons competent to perform the assessment (Ed. Code section 56322). All assessments must be conducted in accordance with all requirements of Federal and State law including, but not limited to, observing the student in the appropriate setting and conducting evaluations in accordance with Education Code sections 56327 and 56320, respectively. Evaluators who do not meet the minimum qualifications will not be approved unless the parent can demonstrate the appropriateness of using an evaluator meeting other qualifications. Type of Assessment Minimum Qualifications Academic Achievement Certified Special Education Teacher Licensed Educational Psychologist Licensed Psychologist School Psychologist (Credentialed) Adaptive Behavior Licensed Educational Psychologist Licensed Psychologist Certified Special Education Teacher School Psychologist (Credentialed) Assistive Technology Certified or Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist Certified Special Education Teacher Auditory Acuity Auditory Perception (CAP) Licensed or Certificated Audiologist Licensed or Certificated Audiologist Cognitive Licensed Educational Psychologist Licensed Psychologist School Psychologist Functional Vision Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (Master’s Degree) Licensed Physician Motor Licensed Physical Therapist Registered Occupational Therapist Adaptive Physical Education Specialist Speech and Language Certified or Licensed Speech/Language Pathologist (Master’s Degree) Type of Assessment Qualification Social/Emotional/Behavioral School Psychologist (credentialed) Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT) Licensed Psychiatrist Licensed Psychologist Vision-Motor Integration School Psychologist (credentialed) Licensed Psychologist Licensed Educational Psychologist Typical Costs for Evaluation in the Central Valley An independent multidisciplinary evaluation will cost between $2,000-$4,000 inclusive of the cost to conduct the assessment, mileage, developing a written report, providing copies of the report to the parent and school and attending the IEP meeting. * Costs above these amounts will not be approved unless the parent can demonstrate that such costs reflect a reasonable and customary rate for such evaluative services, or if the parents can demonstrate that there are other factors that make the extraordinary costs necessary. When insurance will cover all or part of the costs of the independent evaluation, the District will request that the parents voluntarily have their insurance pay the independent evaluation costs. However, parents will not be asked to have insurance cover independent evaluation costs if such action would result in a financial cost to the parents, including, but not limited to the following: 1. A decrease in available lifetime coverage or any other benefit under an insurance policy; 2. An increase in premiums or the discontinuance of the policy; or 3. An out-of-pocket expense such as payment of a deductible amount incurred in filing a claim. Independent evaluators must agree to release their assessment information and results to the District prior to receipt of payment for services. The results of the independent evaluation will be considered in the diagnosis, program decisions, and placement of the student with disabilities as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Possible Sources of Independent Evaluation by Area of Assessment This list was created as a means of providing possible independent evaluators for parents to select. The District does not specifically endorse any listed agencies or individuals. Other agencies and individuals will be considered if they meet District criteria. The District may contract with these or other providers to obtain an independent educational evaluation at public expense. This is not an exhaustive list of possible assessors. For additional assistance in locating an independent assessor, the parent may contact the Assistant Superintendent of the Merced County SELPA at 209-381-6711. Area of Assessment Source Location Phone # Academic Achievement California School of Professional Psychology; Central Sullivan Center for Children District and COE Psych Fresno 559-456-2774 Fresno District/COE 559-243-4047 Fresno 559-243-4047 Fresno Stanislaus, Madera 559-278-6773 Adaptive Behavior and Cognitive Valley Regional Center Diagnostic Center of Central CA BCBA Assessment Adaptive PE Dr. Amanda Adams District & COE APE Specialist 2 Psychological-Educational Assessment) Sullivan Center for Children Harold Seymour Dr. Robert D. Wells Kiki L. Wells, M.A. Dr. Michele Tomlinson Jimenez Fresno Fresno Fresno/SF Fresno/SF Stanislaus 559-271-1186 559-431-1900 559-228-1618 559-228-1618 209-595-9735 Assistive Technology Community Health Systems (Fresno Community Medical Center) District and COE Asst. Specialist Fresno 559-459-6000 Auditory Acuity Community Hearing Center (Fresno Community Medical Center) Fresno 559-459-6000 Auditory Perception (CAP) Dorian Hearing Center Valley Children’s Hospital Fresno Madera 559-224-1344 559-353-3000 Functional Vision Andrea Lanier M.D.; Valley Children’s Hospital Fresno Madera 559-449-5010 559-353-5174 Health (including Neurological) Fresno Children’s Medical Group Terry Hutchison, M.D. University Medical Center VCH-Charlie Mitchell Clinic Carol Vance, M.D. District/ COE Health Specialist Fresno 559-438-2300 Fresno Madera Fresno 559-459-4000 559-353-6425 559-225-3300 Community Health Systems (Fresno Community Medical Center) Michele Smith, P.T. Therapist Unlimited Carolyn Unruh, P.T. Valley Children’s Hospital Fresno 559-459-6000 Madera Fresno 559-353-5174 559-449-1557 Fresno 559-228-9100 Clovis 559-298-1813 Empire 209-574-9707 Motor Safari Sensory Integrations and Learning Center Goodfellow Occupational Therapy California Learning Connection John Goodfellow Physiomotion Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Erin Dolin OTR and Liddy Futna Brighter Futures LucindaAnderson Neurological-psychological Assessment Speech and Language Howard Glidden, Ph.D. Karen Krause, M.D. Paul Lebby, Ph.D.; Randhir Singh, Ph.D. CSU, Fresno, Speech & Hearing Diagnostic Center of Central California 559-431-8500 559-353-6807 Delhi 209-656-2000 Fresno Fresno 559-278-4004 559-243-4047 3 Physician’s Hearing Service at Central Valley ENT California Learning Connections Kathy Wage, MA Social/Emotional/Behavioral California School of Professional Psychology Central Valley Regional Center Diagnostic Center of Central California Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics David Fox, M.D. Kevin O’Connor, Ph.D.; Sullivan Center for Children Valley Children’s Hospital Fresno 559-228-9100 559-456-2774 Merced Fresno 209559-243-4047 Fresno 559-271-1186 559-271-1186 559-353-5174 Madera Vision Motor-Integration Valley Children’s Hospital Madera 559-353-5174 Transition California Diagnostic Center Fresno 559-243-4047 Approved Assessment Instruments for use in Independent Educational Evaluations The following test instruments are used to assess student skills in the areas identified. This list is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. Other test instruments as identified through the evaluation plan can be used. All listed instruments must be administered by a qualified examiner, be age appropriate to the child, and be administered and scored in conformance with the publisher’s instructions. Assessment Area Approved Instruments Academic Achievement Diagnostic Achievement Battery Diagnostic Reading Scales (Spache) Diagnostic Test of Educational Achievement Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement Key Math Diagnostic Arithmetic Test Peabody Individual Achievement Test Silvaroli-Classroom Reading Inventory Tests of Early Math Ability Tests of Early Reading Ability Tests of Early Written Language Tests of Mathematical Abilities Tests of Reading Comprehension Test of Written English Test of Written Language Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement Woodcock-Johnson Reading Mastery Tests Adaptive Behavior AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale Adaptive Behavior Evaluation Scale 4 Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC)-Adaptive Deveraux Behavior Rating Scale Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II Cognitive Baley Scales of Infant Development Comprehensive Test of Non Verbal Intelligence C-TONI 3rd Edition Cattel Infant Intelligence Scale Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC)-Cognitive Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC)-Physical Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC & KABC II) Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale-4th Edition Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-3rd Edition Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) Wechsler Intelligence Scales (WIPPSI, WISC-IV, WAIS-R) Motor Peabody Development Motor Scales Perceptual Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Design Development Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery) Motor Free Visual Perception Test-R Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills-R Test of Visual Perceptual Skills-R Speech and Language Boehm Test of Basic Concepts Revised Bracken Basic Concepts Scale Carrow Elicited Language Inventory Clinical Evaluation of Language Functioning (Preschool) Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC)-Communication Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test Fisher Logeman Articulation Test Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised Preschool Language Scale (Zimmerman) Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale Structured Photographic Expressive Language Tests II Test of Auditory comprehension of Language-Revised Test of Early Language Development Test of Language Development-Primary or Intermediate Test of Pragmatic Language Test of Auditory Reasoning and Processing Skills Test of Adolescent Language Word Test Revised Social/Emotional/Behavioral Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale Behavior Assessment Systems for Children (BASC II) Behavior Disorder Evaluation Scale Behavior Evaluation Scale Brown ADD/ADHD Scales Burks’ Behavior Rating Scale Connors Rating Scale Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC)-Social-Emotional Emotional and Behavior Problem Scale Pier Harris Children’s Self Concept Scale 5 Roberts Apperception Test for Children Rorschach Thematic Apperception Test Others Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADDS) Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADIR) Autism Screen Instrument for Educational Planning Childhood Autism Rating Scale Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (Primary and 3rd Edition) Developmental Tasks for Kindergarten Readiness Draw a Person Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS) Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test Hiskey-Nebraska Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) 6