The Evaluation Unit at Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides diagnostic assessments and comprehensive services to deaf and hard of hearing children. In addition, the team sees outside children to determine whether they should be enrolled at Horace Mann School or referred to more appropriate settings.

 

These evaluations include:

 

The Evaluation Team also serves as a training center for graduate and undergraduate students in the areas above thereby expanding its services for our students and families.

The team evaluates children who have an educationally significant hearing loss to determine eligibility to receive Special Education and related services at the Horace Mann School or may require a different educational setting with accommodations for the hearing loss. 

How the Individualized Educational Plan is developed: The Individual Education Program (IEP) Process

• Referrals are received from parents/guardians and families, schools, early intervention programs, health centers, cochlear implant teams, hospitals, etc.
• Students records are reviewed in order to determine areas of concern and the need for further evaluation.
• Selected team members may choose to observe the student in his/her current setting.
• Comprehensive evaluation may include: Audiological; Psychological; Achievement; Speech and Language; American Sign Language (ASL); Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; and Vision Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
• Meeting takes place with the parents/guardians/families, student (if appropriate), teachers, representatives from other schools or agencies, and the evaluation team members. 

A meeting is scheduled with parents, the student (14 years or older), teachers, agency representatives and the evaluation team. After the completion of this meeting, an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is developed and proposed.

  

Coordinator of Special Education (COSE)

The COSE is usually the first person contacted by parents, hospitals, early intervention centers and others when a hearing loss is diagnosed and specialized education services are considered for a student. The COSE will arrange for all necessary assessments and chairs the meeting where families, school staff and evaluators share the results and make recommendations for the student's educational program. Based on a Team meeting and discussion, the COSE is responsible for developing the IEP (Individualized Educational Program) and monitoring the delivery of services.

The COSE meets with parents/guardians/families and school staff to review each student's progress and to develop a new Individualized Educational Program each year. Every three years the COSE schedules a re-evaluation for each student.