MDT Evaluations & Meetings

1.  Should I use an agenda for MDT meetings? 

Yes, it is highly recommended to use an agenda for MDT meetings to keep the team on task and student-focused. 

• Sample MDT Agenda #1

• Sample MDT Agenda #2

• Sample MDT Agenda #3

1.  What are some considerations for completing this portion of the MDT? 

Click HERE for ESU #1's MDT wording guidelines. 

2.  Is it okay to cite the Eligibility Guidelines in the "Basis for Making a Determination" section of the MDT? 

No.  Although the Eligibility Guidelines should be used to facilitate MDT conversations, they should not be cited in the MDT.  

3.  Should I include evaluation results in the "Basis for Making a Determination" section of the MDT?  

No.  This section of the MDT should 1) cite Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) Rule 52 for Part C or Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) Rule 51  for Part B, 2) state that the student has a disability, 3) identify the disability, and 4) state that there is a need for early intervention services for Part C or special education/specialized instruction for Part B.   

1. "Is a MDT required when then child's IEP team has determined through a review of existing data that the child continues to have a disability and educational needs?"

Click HERE for NDE's detailed response.

2.  What do I do once the IEP team has determined that no additional testing is needed to determine continued eligibility and a reevaluation is not necessary? 

Document on the IEP that a discussion took place to arrive at this decision and complete a "Determination Notice" (92 NAC 51 006.05B2 - 006.06D).  Click HERE for data sources to consider when completing a "Determination Notice".  

1. What should go in this section of page 3 of the MDT? 

This section must explicitly identify educational needs and the nature and extent of the special education and related services the child needs (92 NAC 006.03E2b; 006.03F2a). All educational strategies listed must connect to the needs. 

For example: Alex requires specialized support to address his emotional regulation and behavioral challenges, which impact his ability to focus and engage in classroom activities. Specifically, he needs: 1) strategies to improve emotional regulation, 2) behavior intervention strategies to manage impulsivity and outbursts, 3) support in developing coping strategies and social skills.

1. What happens when a child verified as DD turns 8 years old during the summer months?

Rule 51 states that DD is a valid verification only through the school year in which the child reaches age eight. "School year" is typically referred to as August 1 - July 31. Thus, the district must redetermine eligibility prior to the beginning of the school year. So, if a child turns 8 on June 15, the team should meet in May prior to the start of summer break to redetermine eligibility.

2. Does OHI need to be checked at the MDT for OT/PT services to be provided?

No.  Labels do not drive services. Services that the child will receive are determined by the IEP, not the MDT.

1. How are reevaluations conducted? 

Click HERE for guidance on conducting reevaluations. 

2. A child/student was tested and did not qualify for services. Six months later the parents request a reevaluation because they are seeing more delays at home. Should this be considered a reevaluation since the original evaluation is less than a year old or should it be considered an initial evaluation? 

If the child/student did not meet eligibility criteria at an MDT, then you need to get consent to evaluate (initial) and have a new MDT. The existing information can be reviewed during new evaluation.

3.  A child/student was tested six months ago.  However, after the MDT, the parents did not consent to services.  Now, six month later, they want their child/student to start services. Should this be considered a reevaluation since the original evaluation is less than a year old or should it be considered an initial evaluation?

Since parents did not consent, you should get consent to evaluate (reevaluation) to review the existing data and make an eligibility decision at a MDT meeting.  The existing information can be reviewed.  In this case, the MDT can be duped on SRS because there will likely not be a lot of changes to the existing MDT. 

4. A referral was received but no evaluation ever took place because they parents refused to give consent.  Now, years later, concerns arise.  Should this be treated as an initial evaluation or as a reevaluation? 

Initial. 

5. Initial consent to evaluate was obtained but at some point prior to the eligibility decision (MDT meeting) the team decided additional testing was needed.  How should they proceed? 

You are required to evaluate in all areas where a disability is suspected.  Parents must provide written consent for testing.  Best practice is to handwrite the new testing areas on the existing consent form and have parents sign and date the form again before moving forward.  An eligibility decision (MDT) must be made within 45 school days (for children ages 3-21) of receipt of the initial signed consent form.  In other words, the 45 day timeline is not extended simply because additional parental consent was obtained.  

6. Parents signed consent for an initial evaluation but later, still prior to the evaluation, decided against it.  What do I do?

Get revocation of consent in writing before stopping the evaluation process.  If parents are refusing to provide anything in writing, document and explain that until you have revocation of consent in writing you will continue to evaluate.  Document on a SRS notes page the situation, attempts to contact the parents, etc.  For Part C documentation should also be kept on Connect. 

7.  At an MDT meeting the team decides they do not have enough information to determine the child is eligible after completing all of the planned assessments/testing (what was on the notice and consent for evaluation) and want to conduct further testing (and will need to complete a new notice and consent to test in areas not previously tested).  What should we do?  

The MDT team should answer the eligibility question with the information available at the time of the meeting. In this case, you have decided the child does not qualify and your report should reflect that.  Because the discussion pointed to additional testing being done, a new initial consent for evaluation form should be completed and given to the parents to sign. This would start a new 45 day timeline. You would have a new MDT meeting to determine eligibility and the team would consider the new testing as well as any existing information (e.g. testing from the first MDT). 

8.  A student has a notable eye-turn and the school nurse has sent a note home indicating that the child failed a vision screening.  Is it appropriate for the team to move forward with assessing academics if we don't know if the vision issue is the root of missing classroom content/information? 

Yes, you can partner with a health clinic to get a medical assessment completed at no cost to the parent.  Connect with district administration to determine next steps. 

1. Who are the required participants for MDT meetings? 

Part C requires that two separate disciplines are present during MDT meetings and that both participants sign the MDT.  Rule 51 prescribes MDT membership for SLD. There is a lot of latitude allowed for all other categories. Look at the Verification Guidelines to see what the workgroups who wrote it suggest as people to include.

2. Can a MDT meeting be held without parents present? 

Parents must be notified in writing of meetings within a reasonable amount of time according to 92 NAC 51 003.43.  The SRS Notification of MDT Meeting form should be used to fulfill this requirement.  The best way to document receipt of this form and that the meeting is being held at a mutually agreed upon time and place is to have parents sign and return this document.

All efforts should be made to find a mutually agreeable time and location to hold a meeting. All attempts to contact the parent should be documented.  Best practice is to make at LEAST three attempts to schedule the meeting and suggests the use of any means available (phone, email, texting, going to the home or parent’s place of work, certified mail) to increase the likelihood of meeting participation. This means three separate meetings were scheduled, not that three attempts were made to contact the parent(s).  If you aren’t able to get parent to respond and have documented your attempts, you can move forward without them, but it is strongly recommended to exhaust all options before doing so.

1.If a student (age 5-21) is determined not eligible, what should be documented on the MDT? 

The members of the Multidisciplinary Team met to review (FAMILY INFORMATION, TEACHER REPORTS, MEDICAL REPORTS, ETC.) and the (LIST THE NAMES OF THE ASSESSMENTS USED) evaluation results. Upon comparing this data to the eligibility criteria of Nebraska Department of Education’s Rule 51, the team has decided that STUDENT is not eligible for special services.

2. How do you about determining whether a student is no longer eligible for special education? 

Click HERE for NDE's response. 

1.If an interpreter is needed for a MDT meeting, do they sign the MDT? 

MDT signatures on page 4 of the SRS document indicate agreement/disagreement with the decision of eligibility. An interpreter is not one of the people who participates in that aspect of the meeting (is not a required member), so they should not be signing that page. This is true irrespective of their involvement in the testing process. However, if there is a separate sign in sheet, they could sign there. 

Student teachers and clinical students should be handled the same way.  They are not operating independently (not certified/endorsed/licensed) and cannot fulfill a required role on the MDT.

2. What guidance is available for signatures on the MDT document? 

Make sure that participants are signing in every spot where a name or title is listed. It is best practice to use full signatures rather than initials. The only people who should sign the MDT are those who attend the meeting and participate in the discussion. Parents would only need to consent to someone missing the meeting if that person was on the notice of meeting form and was unable to attend.

1. What do I do when a student moves to Nebraska from out of state and has not previously determined eligible in Nebraska? 

Click HERE for a list of recommended actions.  

1. When must an MDT evaluation be completed? 

The 45 school day timeline cannot exceed 60 calendar days.  Sometimes the 60 calendar day timeline happens before the 45 school day timeline.  No matter when the evaluation is initiated during the school year (October, winter break, February, summer, etc.) the timeline cannot exceed 60 calendar days.  However, if 45 school days occur prior to 60 calendar days, the evaluation must be completed within 45 school days. 

In short, it’s 45 school days or 60 calendar days, whichever is sooner. 

If consent is received on May 1 you would need to use the 60 calendar day timeframe because school days will run out prior to the expiration of the 60 day timeframe. 

For Part B cases, it is appropriate to add "The evaluation and determination will be completed within 45 school days and will not exceed 60 calendar days" to page 1, box 6 on the "SRS Notice and Consent for Initial Evaluation" form. 

Click HERE for a Memo from NDE on this topic. 

For Part C (ages birth-2), the initial evaluation, assessment and IFSP must take place within 45 CALENDAR days from the date of the referral.

2. Is there a way to extend the MDT 45 day timeline? 

No, this timeline cannot be extended.  The team will either have a decision by 45/60 day timeframe or they won't.  In extreme circumstances when the timeline cannot be met, sufficient documentation should exist as to why this error occurred.  This documentation will help explain what happened should that particular file be reviewed during a file review or a due process hearing.  Either way, it is still a procedural violation if a decision is not made within 45 SCHOOL days or 60 calendar days, whichever is sooner.  

The  timeline does not apply only if the parent fails to make the child available for an evaluation or if the child enrolls in a new school. 

Best practice is to hold the MDT within the timeframe and make a decision.  If there is not enough information to verify but the team feels further testing may lead to a better decision, the team can get consent to test (initial) and do the new testing.  A second MDT meeting will be held for the team to consider the data from the first meeting as well as the data from the new testing. 

1. Where do I include a MDT written report?

The MDT written report should be a report of the whole team's decision as to the eligibility of services for a child. The MDT written report should be attached to the MDT on SRS as a supplemental form. Pieces of the written report are then copied and pasted to page 3 of the MDT as needed.

2. What is best practice for including/summarizing medical reports within the MDT? Should full medical reports be included in the MDT as an attachment? Added to a notes page? 

It is not recommended to attach full medical reports to the MDT.  It is sufficient to include a summary of pertinent
information that the team will consider as a part of the eligibility decision within the MDT report (NOT a summary of the whole report).  Additionally, the MDT Basis for Making the Determination must include what information was used to make the eligibility decision.