Reading the evaluation report and school placement opinion (dictamen de escolarización)

Terms used

• Informe psicopedagógico — The informe psicopedagógico is the school guidance team's written evaluation of your child's learning needs.
• Dictamen de escolarización — The dictamen de escolarización is the guidance team's formal opinion proposing the type of school and supports your child needs.
• Orientador — The orientador is the school guidance specialist who evaluates pupils and writes the report.
• ACNEAE — ACNEAE means a pupil with specific educational support needs.
• ACNEE — ACNEE means a pupil whose special educational needs come from a disability or serious disorder.
• Adaptaciones curriculares — Adaptaciones curriculares are changes to what or how your child is taught, either minor or significant.
• Recurso de alzada — A recurso de alzada is a formal administrative appeal to the regional education department.

Key rules

• Who decides: The guidance team proposes and the regional administration decides the placement, after hearing you.
• Validity: There is no single expiry date; reports are revised at stage changes or when needs change.
• Errors: If you find mistakes, ask for a revision and send written allegations.
• Appeal order: Appeal to school management first, then the inspectorate, then the regional education department.
• Deadlines: Appeal deadlines are often one month and vary by region, so check yours early.

Who issues the report and the dictamen

The report is written by the school's guidance staff, not by a doctor or an outside agency. In primary and infant schools it comes from the zone guidance team. In secondary schools it comes from the guidance department of the school. The person who signs it is called the orientador.

The dictamen de escolarización follows the report. The guidance team drafts it, then the regional education administration validates or authorises it. This is often done through the inspectorate or a provincial office. Which office does this depends on your region.

What the names are in your region

Names change from region to region, so ask the school which team handled your child. Some examples:

• Madrid: EOEP (general and early-years teams) and EAT (teams for specific needs).
• Andalucía: EOE in primary, and the departamento de orientación in secondary.
• Catalonia: EAP, with CREDA or CSMIJ for specific needs.
• Valencia: SPE.

Many regions call the report an informe psicopedagógico and the placement opinion a dictamen de escolarización. Catalonia may use informe psicopedagògic and dictamen d'escolarització.

What the report gives your child

The report formally records your child as an ACNEAE, a pupil with specific educational support needs. If the needs come from a disability or serious disorder, the label is ACNEE. This label can unlock:

• Pedagogía terapéutica (PT), which is specialist teaching support.
• Audición y lenguaje (AL), which is speech and language support.
• Adaptaciones curriculares, which change the curriculum a little or a lot.
• Exam adaptations and extra time.
• A classroom aide, where available.
• Specialised materials.

What your child actually gets depends on your region and on the school's staff. Ask the school exactly which supports are being assigned.

What the dictamen decides

The dictamen is needed when your child may need a special type of schooling. It sets out your child's needs and proposes one of four options: an ordinary school with supports, a combined or preferential school, a special education unit in an ordinary school, or a special education school. The decision below helps you compare them.

You are heard before the decision. The administration then makes the placement, not the school and not you. Your say is in the hearing, in your written allegations and in any appeal.

How long they stay valid

A report has no single expiry date. It must be revised when your child's circumstances change, and especially at a change of stage: infant to primary, primary to ESO (compulsory secondary), and ESO to post-compulsory studies. Many regions also set regular reviews, commonly each stage or every 1–2 years for children with the greatest needs. The dictamen is reviewed at stage changes or when your child's needs change. Ask the school when the next review is due.

If you disagree or find errors

You have the right to be told the results. Ask the school for a copy of the report, or for a meeting with the orientador. Then:

1. Ask for the evaluation to be revised and send your written allegations.
2. If you still disagree with the dictamen or the resolution, appeal to the school management, then to the education inspectorate.
3. After that, lodge a recurso de alzada, a formal appeal, with the regional education department.

You can also make a general data-access request to get your child's file. Appeal deadlines are often one month, but they vary by region. Find out yours before the resolution arrives, because a missed deadline can close the route. The checklist and timeline below set out the steps.

Choosing between options

Which type of schooling does the dictamen propose for your child?

• Ordinary school with supports: Your child's needs can be met in a regular class with help such as PT or AL support and adaptations.

• Combined or preferential school: Your child needs a school set up with more resources for their kind of need, while staying in a mainstream setting.

• Special education unit in an ordinary school: Your child needs a specialised class but can share the life of an ordinary school.

• Special education school: Your child needs the highest level of specialised support all day.

The guidance team proposes the modality in the dictamen after the evaluation, you are heard, and the administration then makes the placement. If you disagree, you can ask for a revision and appeal.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask the school for a copy of the report or a meeting with the orientador: as soon as the evaluation is finished

• Ask for a revision of the evaluation and submit your written allegations: if you disagree with the results

• Lodge a recurso de alzada (formal appeal) with the regional education department: often within one month of the resolution

Checklist

• Ask the school which guidance team issued your child's report and what it is called in your region.

• Find out which regional office validates the dictamen where you live.

• Ask when the next review is due, and whether a stage change is coming.

• Send written allegations and ask for a revision if you find errors or disagree.

• Find out the appeal deadline in your region before the resolution arrives.

What to watch out for

• Missing the appeal deadline: The time to appeal a dictamen or resolution is short, often one month, and differs by region. After it passes you may lose the chance to challenge. Ask the school or inspectorate for the deadline as soon as you receive the resolution, and appeal in writing.

• Accepting a report with errors: The report and dictamen drive the supports and the type of school your child gets. Errors left uncorrected carry into those decisions. Ask for a copy, read it, and send written allegations or request a revision.

• Appealing in the wrong order: A disagreement goes first to the school management, then the inspectorate, and then to the regional education department as a recurso de alzada. Follow that order and keep a written copy of each request.

Frequently asked questions

What is the evaluation team called in my region?

The name changes by region, but it is always the school guidance team. In Madrid it is the EOEP, with the EAT for specific needs. In Andalucía it is the EOE, or the departamento de orientación in secondary schools. In Catalonia it is the EAP, and in Valencia the SPE.

Does the evaluation report expire after a set time?

No, the report has no single fixed expiry, but it must be revised when your child's circumstances change. Reviews usually happen at stage changes, such as primary to ESO.

Who decides my child's school placement after the dictamen?

The regional education administration makes the placement, not the guidance team. The team drafts the dictamen, the administration validates it, and your family is heard before the decision.

What does the report give my child in class?

The report can unlock extra help such as therapeutic pedagogy (PT) and speech and language (AL) support. It can also give curriculum adaptations, exam adaptations and extra time. A classroom aide is possible where available, and what you get depends on your region and the school's staffing.