An evaluation is a careful examination of a child’s skills, strengths and possible areas of weakness in order to determine current levels of functioning in all developmental areas.

Most commonly, young children aged birth through 5 are referred for an evaluation by their parents or legal guardians, doctors/pediatricians, preschool teachers or the Preschool/Child Find screening team. Prior to the evaluation the written consent of the child’s parents or legal guardians must be obtained before the evaluation process is started. Occasionally, it is not possible to get this permission and an educational surrogate parent must be assigned by the Colorado Department of Education to represent the child.

At this age, information is obtained through a play-based assessment, observation and parent interview. The evaluation team consists of 2 or more professionals who are licensed through The Colorado Department of Education. The child is presented with toys and materials selected to elicit the information the team requires to determine whether or not the child is eligible for special education or related services.