My child has a medical diagnosis but doesn’t qualify for an IEP. How come?

There are many differences between a medical diagnosis and an educational determination, or school evaluation, of a disability. A medical diagnosis is made by a physician based on an assessment of symptoms and diagnostic tests. A medical diagnosis of autism, for instance, is most frequently made by a physician according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychological Association (2000). This manual guides physicians in diagnosing Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified according to a specific number of symptoms.

An educational evaluation, in contrast, is made by a multidisciplinary evaluation team comprised of various school professionals. The evaluation results are looked at by a team of qualified professionals and the parents to determine whether a student qualifies for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Hawkins, 2009).