To make a referral to EAT, contact Mary Fryman at mary.fryman@mcesc.org or (937) 236-9965 to obtain a Referral Form specific to the evaluation(s) request. Complete the Referral Form with a district representative signature and submit the necessary documents.

All referrals must include the following

• MCESC-EAT Referral Form specific to the evaluation request (i.e., functional vision, hearing, autism, etc.)

• MCESC Authorization for Release of Records

• Parent Consent (see below)

Additionally, copies of district paperwork is necessary to complete the referral request:

• Parent Consent for Evaluation (i.e., PR-05 or Permission to Review)

  • MCESC-EAT Permission to Review forms may be provided for district convenience

  • Parent consent must be received before scheduling is initiated

• Prior Written Notice (PWN) documenting why the evaluation is being requested

• If applicable, Preschool or School-Age Planning Form

  • Please do not list MCESC-EAT on the Planning Form without prior approval.

• If applicable, student’s current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and most recently completed Evaluation Team Report (ETR) or copy of student’s 504 Plan and most recently completed 504 Evaluation

• Student’s schedule

• Other relevant records (i.e., documentation of interventions, FBA/BIP, medical, etc.)

In most cases, it is not necessary to call and speak with a member of EAT. However, if requesting an Autism referral or Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), please call first and speak to one of the School Psychologists. If your referral request will be a part of an initial evaluation, please do not list our team on the district planning form without prior EAT approval.

Turn-around time to complete an evaluation and report varies. The EAT serves ~50 school districts and over 300 schools. It is not always possible to match district IDEA timelines, although we make every effort to consider such requirements when scheduling.

EAT services do not have a cost to parents and guardians. Costs are covered by and included in annual service agreements between MCESC and the school district.

School districts seek support from the EAT’s highly qualified practitioners who have specialized training and experience in evaluating and supporting students with low incidence (severe and/or multiple) disabilities. Different from a private or clinical evaluation, the EAT conducts comprehensive evaluations using a school-based approach, rather than a medical or clinical model. This approach provides relevant implications for your child’s educational planning by identifying their educational needs in a written report.

You can expect that the EAT will schedule necessary observations, interviews, and testing dates with the parents and the school. We conduct observations at school and gather input from district staff and parents. Testing may occur at school or the Regional Center. For testing completed at the Regional Center, there is an observation area adjacent to our testing suite which provides an opportunity for parents and district personnel to observe during testing. Written reports accompany completed evaluations and results are shared with parents and the school. In some cases, results may be shared simultaneously with parents and the school district in a face-to-face meeting. Our staff is available to share findings as well as respond to questions.

The EAT schedules a time to meet with the parents and school team to share the results of the evaluation. This meeting is typically held before the child’s ETR/IEP meeting. No educational decisions are made at these meetings.

Responsibilities for writing IEP goals rests with the school district team. However, EAT reports provide a basis or a place for district teams to start as they develop and write an IEP goal for a student. Teams should reference the ‘Educational Needs’ section of an EAT report. This area focuses on both student strengths and skills in which the student may need to improve. If the school district team concludes that specialized instruction is necessary, these areas of needed improvement can easily be translated into an IEP goal(s). After an evaluation is completed, EAT personnel may offer suggestions for school team to consider as a part of technical assistance.

EAT personnel do not provide related-services. MCESC-Regional Center does provide a variety of related-services options (i.e., Vision, O&M, Hearing, Speech, OT/PT, etc.) for school districts to access through contractual service agreements. If you are a school district representative, please contact MCESC-Regional Center Director, Sue Gunnell, at susan.gunnell@mcesc.org or (937) 236-9965 for more information.

EAT does not provide a 'diagnosis' for any medical or mental health condition. EAT personnel in conjunction with a district team may conduct a school-based evaluation to determine if an educational identification of autism, as defined in the IDEA and Ohio’s Operating Standards for the Education of Students with Disabilities, should be considered.

The Autism and Low-Incidence Coaching Team (ACT) provides school-based coaching services. Please see their website for additional information at http://mvactteam.blogspot.com/.

Referrals from school districts who do not have a service agreement with MCESC may be accepted based upon the need for an evaluation of a student suspected or identified as having a low-incidence disability (i.e., autism, blind/visually-impaired, deaf/hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, multiple disabilities). Contact the EAT Coordinator, Lisa Saylor at lisa.saylor@mcesc.org or (937) 236-9965 X2139 for more information.