Reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Long, Ph.D. — Director of Special Education, 32 years in public education.
A group of people knowledgeable about your child, the evaluation data, and the placement options — typically including you as the parent — makes the eligibility determination as a team, not a single administrator acting alone.
This comes from guidance by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, not from the text of a law. Guidance shows how the Department reads the rules.
“If a parent or guardian of a child with an impairment believes that the child may be a student with a disability and therefore requires services that he or she is not currently receiving in school, the parent or guardian can ask the school district to evaluate or reevaluate the child pursuant to the requirements of the Section 504 regulation.”
This section is educational support, not legal advice. Special education rules can depend on your state and your child's facts. Talk with your IEP or 504 team, and with counsel when you need legal advice.
Dr. Long's Assistant answers your specific questions in plain language — built from Dr. Long's expertise, plus state and federal law read at the source — never the open internet.
Get started →This is educational information, not legal advice. IDEA, Section 504, FERPA, and state rules may differ by situation.
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