START Glossary
Title
Education-based evaluation for ASD
Description
The purpose of an education-based evaluation is to determine a student's eligibility for special education. The student must meet the MARSE criteria for ASD and must have an adverse impact on educational performance in the academic, behavioral, or social domains, which necessitates special education programs and/or services. The evaluation team must include a psychologist, social worker, and speech/language pathologist. Because the process and purpose for evaluations are different, a clinical diagnosis of ASD is neither required nor sufficient for the determination of special education eligibility, nor is special education eligibility sufficient for a clinical diagnosis of ASD.
Last Updated
1/1/2026
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