Oftentimes, the first step in testing to determine whether a student in North Carolina requires special services is a professional or personal referral of that child to a child-care specialist, either at a school or hospital. Many times, pre-natal doctors and pediatricians will make recommendations based on their interactions with the child, particularly in cases of physical development issues, such as hearing or seeing problems. Other times, parents can refer their child for further evaluation based upon behavioral or cognitive issues they notice in their children, such as a short attention span or an inability to comprehend written language. In any case, the referring party compiles a set of formal or informal observational data to justify their referral.
Once referred, a child in North Carolina will participate in a multidisciplinary conference in which educational and behavioral specialists will meet and interact with the child and his or her parents. In North Carolina, the child is asked to perform a number of different tests depending upon the child's age. For younger children, these include simple tasks such as following directions, manipulating physical objects and navigating in a room. For older children in North Carolina, these can include education-based tests, such as writing and reading examinations, simple math exams, as well as problem-solving and critical-thinking examinations. Professionals observe the child's performance during these tests so as to determine if the child requires an individualized education plan.
In North Carolina, parents have the option of seeking additional evaluations by officials and experts independent of the child's home district. These independent educational evaluations, which are paid for by the district, are similar in scope and sequence to the multidisciplinary conferences organized by the district. Unlike district-run multidisciplinary conferences, however, independent educational evaluators are considered free from any potentially influencing factors, such as the increased cost of educating a child with special needs.
If it deemed necessary by the district-provided multidisciplinary conference, or by the independent educational evaluation, a child in North Carolina will receive an individualized education plan or IEP that will follow that child throughout his or her school career. The IEP is designed to both account for and challenge the student's disability, so that the child can learn to function in school at a proficient level. A student's IEP is updated each year after an annual multidisciplinary conference, which is organized and operated by the district or an independent contractor.