Child Find & Eligibility
The purpose of Child Find, mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is to identify, locate, and evaluate children and adults birth through 21 years of age who are suspected of having or have a diagnosed disability or developmental delay in order to provide appropriate special education services under the law.
Part B of IDEA specifies how special education and related services are provided to school-aged children. Special Education is instruction designed to meet the unique learning needs of the individual student with disabilities. It is defined as:
- specially designated instruction
- at no cost to parents
- to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability
Special Education services may be provided in a variety of educational settings, but are required by IDEA to be delivered in the least restrictive environment.
The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through age 2 years, and their families.
A child must be evaluated and identified as having a disability to be eligible of special education programs and related services. Depending upon the degree of the child's impairment, they may require special education and/or related services.
A child can be referred when:
- A health or a medical disorder interferes with development and/or learning
- A child seems to have difficulty seeing or hearing
- A child appears to have social, emotional or behavioral difficulties that affect his/her ability to learn or interact with others
- A child has a diagnosed progressive or degenerative condition that will eventually impair or impede the child's ability to learn
- A child seems to have difficulty understanding directions like others that are his/her age
- The child's speech is not understood by family or friends
A referral may be made by a parent or by any person concerned about a child. Contact the school psychologist or site principal to move forward with the referral. Parent involvement and agreement is obtained prior to any further action. Information is confidential and the privacy of children and parents is protected.
