Diagnostic Program

Students may be referred for a 45-day diagnostic placement by their school districts to provide structure within a safe and therapeutic environment while diagnostic testing is conducted. The purpose of the diagnostic placement is to evaluate and observe the student’s behavior and functioning in order to identify the most appropriate educational setting. Resources are available to evaluate any or all eight domains for special education eligibility, especially the student’s academic and emotional needs. The eight domain areas that are to be considered for evaluation include: Academic Achievement, Functional Performance, Cognitive Functioning, Communication Status, Health, Vision and Hearing, Motor Abilities and Social/Emotional Status. All three programs, Metro Prep Grade School, Laureate Day School and Metro Prep High School accept students for 45-day diagnostic placements.

Upon enrollment, each student, their parents, the referring school district and our staff will provide input as to the specific needs of the student, the extenuating circumstances that precipitated the need for a 45-day placement, and the domain areas in need of assessment. An appropriate time line will be created to complete the necessary evaluations and meet to review the results and recommendations. Our goal is to facilitate the assessment process as quickly as possible. This assessment procedure complies with all established Illinois laws and regulations governing special education.