The initial evaluation that determines whether a child has a particular health or physical impairment is usually performed by a physician. AD/HD identification is an exception in that often educators help in the diagnosis. Children with health and physical impairments require collaboration between professionals. Health impairments that affect cognitive skills or behavior will need a multidisciplinary school-based team to administer and interpret the appropriate evaluation instruments required to determine what special educational services or classroom modifications are necessary for the child to benefit most from the educational experiences offered. Some of the services that need to be assessed are:

• Activities of Daily Living:
  Assessment in this area would evaluate the child's daily living potential. Eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, and personal hygiene self-help skills are analyzed to determine current and possible future independent functioning. Later in life, daily living skills expand to cooking, housekeeping and self-transportation abilities.
• Mobility Assessment:
  A large component of independence is the ability to move about independently. Assessment might consist of evaluating current mobility skills and anticipating any future mobility needs that could be more easily attained with appropriate therapy or education.
• Physical Abilities Assessment:
  The physical potential of a given child needs to be assessed prior to the construction of an IEP. What physical actions a child can currently perform and what limitations the condition affecting the child might impose in the future must be anticipated. Based on the assessment, appropriate professionals can become part of the rehabiliation team.
• Psychosocial Abilities Assessment:
  The psychosocial assessment includes a child's relationships with family and significant others, environment, occupational history, resources, educational level, daily activities, and patterns of health care. In addition the child's cognitive abilities, responses to challenges, and cultural influences are assessed.
• Communication Assessment:
  The ability to understand language is critical for much of the learning that takes place in the classroom. The skills necessary to formulate thoughts into language and the ability to program the appropriate organs needed to speak are critical for meaningful interaction within the learning environment. A communication assessment can determine a child's language and speech skills and potential and help educators develop a plan for attainment of deficient skills or suggest compensation for skills that may never be attained.
• Academic Potential Assessment:
  Intelligence testing, reading comprehension skills testing, grade-level achievment tests, and many other measures may be needed to help forecast a child's academic potential prior to the recommendations made in an IEP. Before services can be requested, the IEP team needs an understanding of what academic goals might be appropriate for any child with health or physical impairments.
• Setting Assessment:
  The setting in which learning will take place must be evaluated to determine whether any modifications will be necessary. Doorway width, lighting, bathroom accessibility, air filtration, extra space for equipment, rest areas and any other accommodations for a child with physical impairments may need will have to be integrated into the setting determined appropriate for the child. Modifications of the learning setting may require the teacher to modify or change teaching techniques or use classroom aids to assist with instruction. A careful review of the curriculum and how it will be presented to the class will pin-point the modifications necessary to effectively instruct the child with a physical or health impairment.
• Assistive Technology Assessment:
  Assistive technology refers to a broad range of devices, services, strategies and practices that are designed to increase the functional competencies of persons who have disabilities. The term assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system,whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. The term assistive technology service is defined as any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.
  
  Both devices and services can be written into an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) if the IEP team determines that assistive technology is necessary for the student to receive a free, appropriate education and the team designates assistive technology as either special education or a related services. The need for assistive technology must be considered like other needs, on a case-by-case basis. Although there are few opportunities for assistive technology assessments and few qualified assessors, assessments can be requested through the IEP. IEPs that include assistive technology should be written so that students have access to these accommodations not only for in-class work, but also for projects and all types of tests.