★ Texas IDEA Aligned TAC §89.1040

SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION IN TEXAS

Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) Overview Chart

A comprehensive, multifaceted evaluation using multiple measures, methods, and informants to understand a learner's cognitive, academic, behavioral, and functional needs — no single measure determines eligibility.

IDEA 2004 TAC §89.1040 TEA Guidance MTSS Framework CHC Theory Simple View of Reading/Writing ARD Committee

S. Mikels-Barber, M.Ed. · Educational Diagnostician · barbersped.org

I. MAIN EVALUATION DOMAINS (FIIE Components)

	DOMAIN 1 🧠 COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT	DOMAIN 2 📖 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT	DOMAIN 3 💛 BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL	DOMAIN 4 👶 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT	DOMAIN 5 ⚙️ PROCESSING & COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS
FOCUS	Intellectual functioning and cognitive ability using the CHC theory framework	Learned academic skills relative to TEKS grade-level expectations and age norms	Social, emotional, behavioral, and adaptive functioning across home and school settings	Age-related developmental milestones and early childhood functioning (ages 3–9)	How information is received, processed, stored, and retrieved (CHC framework)
WHAT IT INCLUDES	Crystallized Intelligence Gc Fluid Reasoning Gf Visual-Spatial Gv Processing Speed Gs Working Memory Gwm Long-Term Retrieval Glr	Reading: Decoding, Fluency, Comprehension SVR Written Expression: Mechanics & Composition SVW Mathematics: Computation & Problem-Solving Math Oral Language (foundational to all domains)	Internalizing (anxiety, depression, withdrawal) Externalizing (aggression, impulsivity, hyperactivity) Adaptive Behavior (conceptual, social, practical) Executive Functioning (inhibition, planning, shifting)	Motor Skills (fine and gross) Language & Communication Cognitive Milestones Social-Emotional Development	Phonological/Auditory Processing Ga Visual Processing Gv Long-Term Retrieval Glr Processing Speed Gs Working Memory Gwm Executive Function (EF)
KEY CONSTRUCTS	Full Scale IQ · Composite Scores · Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence · CHC Broad & Narrow Abilities	Basic Skills · Academic Fluency · Application Skills · TEKS Alignment · Grade & Age Norms	Adaptive Behavior · Maladaptive Behavior · Emotional Disturbance (ED) · Adverse Effect on Educational Performance	Developmental Delay · Typical Development Milestones · Early Childhood (EC) Eligibility	CHC Theory · Pattern of Strengths & Weaknesses (PSW) · Auditory Processing · Executive Function
TEXAS NOTE	Required in most FIIEs. Essential for SLD, ID, and OHI determinations. Results alone never determine eligibility — must document adverse effect.	Must document inadequate classroom achievement in one or more of 8 SLD areas (TAC §89.1040(c)(7)). STAAR data alone is not sufficient.	ED defined per IDEA §300.8(c)(4) — not "behavioral disorders." Adaptive behavior assessment required for ID determination.	Developmental Delay eligibility available ages 3–9 in Texas. Requires documented delay in one or more developmental areas per TAC §89.1040(c)(3).	Processing weaknesses support SLD PSW prong. Critical for dyslexia (Ga/Gwm), dysgraphia (Gwm/Gs), and dyscalculia documentation.
PURPOSE IN FIIE	Identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses; rule out ID; support SLD PSW analysis; guide instructional planning and IEP development	Document learning gaps; compare achievement to ability and MTSS data; anchor SLD three-prong eligibility criteria	Identify ED, OHI, and adaptive behavior deficits; distinguish disability from behavior; inform BIP and IEP goal development	Early identification of developmental needs; access to EC services; plan transition to categorical eligibility at age 9	Explain learning difficulties beyond IQ; establish convergent evidence for SLD; inform evidence-based intervention design

II. ASSESSMENT METHODS

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1. STANDARDIZED TESTING

Norm-referenced; multiple measures required (IDEA §300.304); no single test determines eligibility; technically adequate instruments only

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2. CURRICULUM-BASED MEASURES (CBM)

MTSS Tier progress monitoring data; rate of improvement (ROI) analysis; TEKS-aligned probes; required for SLD documentation

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3. INTERVIEWS

Parent, teacher, and student input; captures functional impact across settings; required under IDEA §300.305; developmental and academic history

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4. OBSERVATIONS

Classroom observation required for SLD (IDEA §300.310); natural settings; functional behavior documentation; multiple settings preferred

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5. RECORD REVIEW (REED)

Review of Existing Evaluation Data precedes FIIE; cumulative records, MTSS intervention logs, prior evaluations, medical records

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6. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY DATA

Required for Emergent Bilingual (EB) students; TELPAS, CLI, home language survey; dominant language determination before assessment selection

III. ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES (TAC §89.1040)

1. SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY (SLD)

Three-prong criteria: (1) Inadequate classroom achievement in one or more of 8 SLD areas; (2) Inadequate response to intervention (MTSS) OR pattern of strengths/weaknesses (PSW); (3) Exclusionary factors ruled out

→ Dyslexia (reading/phonological) · Dysgraphia (writing) · Dyscalculia (mathematics)

2. INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY (ID)

Significantly below-average intellectual functioning + significant deficits in adaptive behavior + manifested during the developmental period. Requires standardized cognitive and adaptive behavior assessment.

3. EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (ED)

IDEA §300.8(c)(4): One or more of 5 characteristics, long duration, marked degree, adversely affecting educational performance. Social maladjustment alone does not qualify. Not "behavioral disorders."

4. OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT (OHI)

Chronic or acute health condition resulting in limited alertness to educational environment. ADHD most common — requires medical diagnosis + documented adverse educational impact in FIIE.

5. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (AU)

Developmental disability significantly affecting verbal/nonverbal communication and social interaction. Must rule out Emotional Disturbance as primary cause (IDEA §300.8(c)(1)).

⚠️ Giftedness is not an IDEA eligibility category and is not determined through the FIIE process. GT identification in Texas follows separate campus/district procedures under TEC Chapter 29 and is not the diagnostician's scope.

IV. KEY TEXAS TERMINOLOGY

FIIE

Full and Individual Initial Evaluation — first-time comprehensive evaluation under IDEA; completed within 60 school days of written parent consent

FIE / Reevaluation

Full Individual Evaluation — required at least every 3 years for students with an IEP; consent or notification required

REED

Review of Existing Evaluation Data — ARD committee review that determines whether new testing is needed before an FIE

ARD Committee

Admission, Review, and Dismissal — makes all eligibility and IEP decisions; parent is a required, equal member; evaluator presents findings

PWN

Prior Written Notice — required documentation of any district decision to evaluate, not evaluate, change, or refuse to change services

MTSS

Multi-Tiered System of Supports — Tier 1–3 intervention data required to document SLD; ROI data is key evidence

Adverse Effect

Disability must adversely affect educational performance — required element connecting assessment findings to need for special education

Norm-Referenced

Score compared to standardization sample; standard score (M=100, SD=15); percentile rank = relative standing among peers

Exclusionary Factors

SLD must not be primarily due to: sensory impairment, ID, ED, cultural/environmental factors, limited English, or lack of appropriate instruction

Criterion-Referenced

Score compared to a set standard (e.g., TEKS grade-level expectations, benchmark cut scores)

V. INTEGRATION & INTERPRETATION — TEXAS FIIE PROCESS

Step 1

🔄 Combine All Data

Integrate results from all domains, methods, and informants. Include MTSS documentation, CBM ROI, work samples, medical records, and intervention response data.

Step 2

🔍 Seek Convergent Evidence

Identify strengths vs. weaknesses. Look for consistency across settings, informants, and measures. Rule out exclusionary factors. Apply pattern of strengths/weaknesses analysis for SLD.

Step 3

⚡ Document Adverse Effect

Connect every assessment finding to classroom functioning. Adverse effect on educational performance is required for all IDEA eligibility determinations — this is the bridge between data and eligibility.

Step 4

✅ ARD Committee Determines Eligibility

The ARD committee — not the evaluator alone — determines eligibility, develops the IEP, and makes placement decisions. The evaluator presents findings; the committee decides. Parent is a required, equal member.

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TEXAS SUMMARY: The FIIE systematically evaluates cognitive ability, academic achievement, behavioral/social-emotional functioning, development, and processing using multiple measures, methods, and informants — no single test determines eligibility. All findings must connect to adverse effect on educational performance. The ARD committee, not the evaluator alone, makes all eligibility and placement decisions. Eligibility is governed by IDEA 2004 and TAC §89.1040.