IEE assessor qualifications | Autism PDD

Hi All,
  We have been trying to get an IEE for our son.  The SD has decided to let this happen and sent us the list of qualifications necessary for the assessor.  If memory serves this is supposed to be similar to the qualifications that the SD uses itself.  Our SD has taken this to mean that the person has to be an educational psychologist.  A licensed psychologist will not do.  An internationally known autism researcher who has published several books and articles --- and has testified in a number of DP hearings for the SD --- will not do.  But the frigging school psychologist who sees maybe 2-3 autistic kids a year is fine.
  We are going to ask that the autism researcher that we had planned to use to consult with someone who actually qualifies.  It will just cost more, I guess.
  I guess that this ought surprise no one, but I thought I mention that when you go for your IEE look over the information carefully, or else you may end up not being reimbursed.

Dad2Luke&Alan39290.4568518519Sounds..typical.Thanks...Appreciated your post. We requested the IEE  specifying the persons we wanted to use.  Their response was to send PWN  allowing the IEE, but also included the list of requirements for the IEE (including the assessor's qualifications).   In the PWN they did not say that the persons we wanted to use were OK or not, just that the assessments were OK if we followed the rules.

While the reason of needing the educational assessment as opposed to a clinical one would seem to apply, but the person I am thinking of has testified in several local DP hearings about autistic children qualifying (or not) under the educational codes.  We checked first to make sure that this person was considered a creditable witness.

Dad2Luke&Alan39290.817337963I would assume that the reason an edu psych is required is becuase they use different criteria in diagnosing autism as opposed to a clinical psych. A clinical psych would use the DSM-IV critera, as opposed to a edu psych who would use IDEA critera (the set of criteria a child must atually meet in order to receive an edu diagnosis of Autism). Do you already have an IEE in mind?  Send the school a letter requesting an IEE and say that you would like to use that person.  Don't go into detail all their qualifications...but enough to let the school think the IEE will be fine.
Copyright Autism-PDD.net