If you’ve started to wonder whether your child needs more than the regular classroom can offer, there is one step that turns that worry into a real process: a written request for a special education evaluation.
Not because anything has gone wrong. Because a written request is what gives your concern a timeline, a decision, and a record. Here’s how it works in Alabama, and an email you can use.
Why the request goes in writing
- It gives you a clear starting point. A hallway chat or a comment at a conference is real, but it doesn’t start anything. A dated written request does.
- You can ask at any time. Alabama’s rule says a parent may request an initial evaluation, and schools may not limit referrals by the number per year or the time of year.
- If the answer is no, you learn why. If the team decides not to evaluate, the school must give you written notice of that decision. That notice tells you what the team is thinking.
- Nothing your child has now goes away. Reading intervention and other supports can keep going. Federal guidance says a response-to-intervention process can’t be used to delay or deny an evaluation when a disability is suspected.
- It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. There’s no fee to ask. If your child is found eligible, you still decide whether to consent to services.
What happens after you send it
- The team reviews your request. Alabama’s rule says the IEP Team decides “in a timely manner” whether to evaluate. It doesn’t set a number of days, so it’s fair to kindly ask when you can expect an answer.
- If they say yes, you sign consent. The 60-day clock starts the day the school receives your signed consent, not the day you asked.
- The evaluation is finished within 60 calendar days. Weekends, breaks, and summer all count.
- Eligibility is decided within 30 more calendar days.
Kitchen table tip: plan on about 90 days from consent to a decision. Most parents hear “60 days” and expect a meeting on day 60. If a date matters to you, like state testing or the end of the school year, count backward from it. The full list of dates is in Alabama Special Education Timelines: The Dates Every Parent Should Know.
If the team decides not to evaluate right now, Alabama’s rule says your child is referred to the school’s Building-Based Student Support Team (BBSST), the group that plans extra help in general education. You’ll also get that written notice explaining why.
Three things a request is not
- Not an accusation. Asking says you want more information. It doesn’t say anyone did anything wrong, and most teams don’t read it that way.
- Not a diagnosis. An evaluation answers two questions: does your child have a disability, and does your child need specially designed instruction because of it.
- Not the same as a private evaluation. If you already have a private report, share it. The team should consider it, but the school’s own duty to evaluate still stands. Many families do both.
An email you can use
This is a starting point, not a script. Change it so it sounds like you. Send it to your child’s teacher and the principal in one email, so everyone has the same request with the same date.
Subject: Request for Special Education Evaluation, [child’s full name], [grade]
Dear [name],
Thank you for the time you and your team have given [child’s first name] this year. I am writing to request a comprehensive special education evaluation for [him or her] in all areas of suspected disability.
I am asking because [one or two plain sentences about what you are seeing].
I’m glad to sign consent as soon as the paperwork is ready. Could you let me know when I can expect to hear about next steps? If the team decides not to evaluate at this time, I would appreciate written notice of that decision so I can understand the team’s thinking.
I’m also happy to share anything from home that would help, such as [reports, tutoring notes, or work samples]. Please let me know what would be most useful.
Thank you for everything you do for [child’s first name].
Warmly,
[your name]
[phone and email]
Two small things that make a big difference
- Use the actual words. “Request a comprehensive special education evaluation” is clear. “Can we look into testing?” reads like a question, not a request.
- Send it by email. The date and the record take care of themselves. Keep a copy.
Not sure you’re ready to ask?
That’s a completely normal place to be. If you’d like to talk it through first, a parent strategy session is a good fit: we’ll look at what you’re seeing, what to put in the request, and what to expect next. Or start here and I’ll point you to the best first step.
Sources: Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 290-8-9, rules .01 (6) and .02, current through May 30, 2025, as published by Justia; U.S. Department of Education, OSEP Memorandum 11-07 (2011), on response to intervention and evaluations. Rules can change, so check the current version. This is educational information, not legal advice. For a legal question or a deadline, talk with a special education attorney.
