849 here....A good eval that really drills down into specifics is important. Particularly with all the nuances of how language deficits and processing speeds and auditory processing affect learning and socialization. The schools will never give you this type of detail. Many private places won't as well, so you really need to find somebody who knows what they are doing AND what the results mean AND how to turn all that info into an actual educational plan.

OP here, thanks again to everyone for the very helpful posts. 8:49, I also suspect our son has very slow processing - he is quite slow in organizing and verbalizing his thoughts. Thanks for helping to bring attention to some of these issues for us. I think the only thing that makes sense now is to get a good comprehensive eval to see exactly what we're dealing with. Also, it's good to know that your DS is getting the services and accommodations he needs under the speech label. I think we'll ask to stay put with the DD label then revisit the label once we see the results of the testing.

PS - Thanks also for the resources re MERLD

you can reach me at janno1201@yahoo.com

849 -- Is there an email address I can contact you offlist with a question? Im in a similar situation with my child and have a question about your experience. Thanks -- very helpful post.