Child Find
Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), that requires Public Education Agencies to locate, identify and evaluate all children with disabilities aged birth through 21, located within their geographic boundaries who are in need of early intervention or special education services.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations require that all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability, are identified, located, and evaluated. [20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(3); 34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)]
Child Find applies to children who are:
- Suspected of having a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade
- Highly mobile, such as migrant and homeless families
- Wards of the State
- Private school students
- Home school students
The regulations that implement the IDEA require each State to have policies and procedures to ensure that “all children with disabilities . . . including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located and evaluated.” [34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)(i)].
Each public education agency must have written procedures for the identification and referral of all children with disabilities within its boundaries of responsibility, including children with disabilities attending private schools and those who are homeschooled.
* Note- Charter schools identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities within their populations served who are in need of special education and related services.
Child Find Screening
Shall be completed within 45 calendar days of:
- Enrollment of each preschool or kindergarten student and any student enrolling without records of screening, evaluation, or progress in school
- Notification by parents of concerns regarding developmental or educational progress of their child
- Enrollment of transfer student(s) whose education enrollment data and performance in the prior school must be reviewed
- Notice from a student with a history of special education who is not currently eligible, but shall be considered for a referral for a full and individual evaluation
A screening shall then be conducted. If concerns are noted, parents must be notified within 10 school days, if no concerns are noted, then no further action is required.
If concerns are noted, conduct and document follow-up that may include but is not limited to pre- referral activities, screening, and response to intervention strategies multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). Child is then referred for evaluation.
Referral for Evaluation
During the initial evaluation period, schools must provide Prior Written Notice, Procedural Safeguards and Meeting Notice (if meeting is to take place). If additional data is needed, schools must:
- Provide Prior Written Notice
- Obtain Parental Consent
- Gather additional data
- Provide Meeting Notice
- Review new data
- Determine eligibility
- Summarize all information in an evaluation report
If no additional data is needed, schools must:
- Provide Meeting Notice
- Determine Eligibility
- Summarize all information in an evaluation report provided to parent
- Provide Prior Written Notice
If it is determined to be appropriate, then the next step is the IEP process outlined to the right.
How Does The IEP Process Work?
- Child identified as possibly needing Special Education.
- Child is Evaluated
- Team Meeting is scheduled
- Eligibility is Determined
- If child is determined not eligible, the process ends
- If child is eligible for services, and IEP is written
- Services are provided
- Progress is measured and reported to Parent/SESP
- IEP is reviewed annually
- Child is evaluated every 3 years
- Team meeting is scheduled, and the process begins again at step 3.
Transition Plan
A final part of the process is the creation of a transition plan. Must begin no later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team. The IEP team must develop an individualized transition plan to be reviewed annually in conjunction with the annual IEP review.
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