Write an IEP Evaluation Request Letter

What does this setup do?

Draft a clear, dated IEP evaluation request letter to the school, and track what happens after you send it.

Who is it for?

Parents who believe their child may need special education services. This is not legal advice; timelines vary by state, so verify your state’s rules.

How do you set it up?

Tools

• ChatGPT or Claude (free tier is fine)
• Specific examples of your child’s struggles at school
• The principal’s and special education director’s names
• A way to send and keep proof: email or certified mail

Steps

1. Write down specific concerns: what your child struggles with, when you noticed, and how it affects schoolwork.
2. Draft the letter with the prompt below. Keep it factual and dated.
3. Send it to the principal and the special education director. Keep a copy and proof you sent it.
4. Watch for the school’s response: they must tell you whether they will evaluate or are refusing, with reasons.
5. If they agree, you will get a consent form. Sign and return it promptly; the evaluation clock generally starts at written consent.
6. Track the timeline. Federal law generally requires the evaluation within 60 days of your consent, unless your state sets a different period.
7. Ask for the evaluation reports a few days before the eligibility meeting so you can read them first.

Help me draft a letter requesting a special education evaluation for my child. This is a DRAFT for me to review, not legal advice.

Child’s grade: [grade]
School: [school name]
My concerns: [specific examples of struggles and how they affect schoolwork]
Areas I want evaluated: [reading, math, speech, attention, behavior: as applicable]

Rules:
- Formal, polite tone. Date the letter.
- Address it to the principal and special education director.
- State clearly that I am requesting an evaluation for special education eligibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Describe my concerns factually, without diagnosing my child.
- Request written consent forms and a written response.
- Include placeholders for my name, contact info, and my child’s name.
- End with: "Verify your state’s timelines and consider consulting a special education advocate or attorney if the school refuses."

Review the letter before you send it, and keep a copy.

Which chat tools work with this prompt?

Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).

• ChatGPT
• Claude

What tips make it smoother?

• Put the request in writing and date it. Verbal requests do not start any clock.
• Send to both the principal and the special education director, and keep proof you sent it.
• The school must explain what testing it proposes and get your written informed consent before testing.
• If the school refuses, they must give reasons in writing, and you have the right to challenge the refusal through a due process hearing.

Where do the claims come from?

Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.

• Read LD OnLine’s write-up (www.ldonline.org)

  LD OnLine: School must respond to a testing request; written informed consent required; IDEA generally requires evaluation within 60 days of consent.

• Read UW Health’s write-up (patient.uwhealth.org)

  UW Health: Sample IEP request letter format; 60 days to assess after consent; IEP team has 30 days to create the plan; yearly reviews and 3-year re-evaluations.