The primary area of assessment covered in IDEA is assessment for eligibility. This is a critical consideration because (a) identification results in special education services and IDEA protections and (b) labeling, special placements, and increased expenses. It is important to use valid, unbiased assessment procedures to avoid false positives (identified for special education when student doesn’t really have a disability) and false negatives (not identified for special education when student really does have a disability). IDEA mandates a number of protection in evaluation procedures to increase the likelihood of valid, unbiased identification procedures such as decisions made by multidisciplinary teams; parental consent and participation; and technically sound, non-discriminatory tools administered in native language (when possible) or mode of communication. Response-to-intervention (RTI) is an accepted approach to identifying learning disabilities under IDEA 2004. Assessment is related to all other legal aspects of special education, as it determines who is and is not covered by IDEA.
