When Regular Education Is Not Effective and Conflicts Arise Between Systems: The Importance of Independent Educational Evaluations

Addressing the educational needs of children with learning challenges is often a complex issue, with few clear-cut accommodations that lead to high levels of interventional efficacy. This is especially true within the context of the child's own developmental change, a dynamic school setting, and numerous family considerations. As a result, it is not uncommon for there to be disagreements among the school's and the family's perspective on how to best address the child's educational, socio-emotional, and general developmental needs. This paper addresses this common occurrence in the United States public school system and discusses a model for how independent educational evaluations can be conducted to best inform the process that is intended to lead to appropriate and effective educational support for a student.