Who is Eligible

Students who meet the criteria listed below are eligible to be referred by their school district for assessment:

• Student is a resident of California, and is between the ages of 3 and 21.
• The student lives, or is receiving public education services within the eleven Southern Californian counties.
• Student must be receiving public special education services or eligibility for special education is an issue.
• Demonstrates a complex learning and/or behavioral profile, and local assessment services cannot address the student's needs.
• The local educational agency has utilized its resources and diagnostic questions/issues remain unanswered.
• Referral issues are not more appropriately addressed by a specialty or agency other than the educationally focused services of the Diagnostic Center (i.e., Regional Center or Department of Mental Health).
• Students whose primary handicapping condition does not involve loss of vision or hearing. These students are more appropriately served at the assessment centers located at the California School for the Deaf, Fremont and California School for the Deaf, Riverside or the California School for the Blind, Fremont .

Once the completed application has been submitted, the Admissions and Review Committee will (1) determine whether the student will be accepted, (2) decide whether a Center, Field, or combined assessment model is most appropriate, and (3) begin to develop an individualized assessment plan. The actual assessment team to whom the student is assigned makes the specific assessment plan decisions.