Special Education Referral Process Parents Section
References:SPECIAL EDUCATION: THE REFERRAL AND EVALUATION PROCESS Retrieved from, http://www.parentcompanion.org/article/special-education-the-referral-and-evaluation-process
If your child is between the ages of three- to five-years-old, and you suspect he needs special education services,
your first step will be to contact your school district and request an evaluation.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires local public school districts to “identify, locate, and evaluate every child who may have a disability requiring special education services.”
This is called “Child Find.”
Step 1: will be to contact your school district and request an evaluation
Step 2: When calling the district you should ask for the person responsible for “Child Find” and tell them you are interested in a special education evaluation for your child.
Step 3: The Child Find coordinator will answer your questions and tell you which school to make your referral to.
The school will review the information you give them about your child and respond in one of three ways:
Decline to do an evaluation
Recommend that your child be screened to see if they should do a full evaluation
Proceed to a Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE)
Step 4: Perform Evaluation, The evaluator(s) will perform a variety of tasks with your child to help them determine if your child has a disability.
Further intervention needed?
No, process ends
Yes
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Step 5: Meeting with school district representatives.to determine if the disability causes your child to need special services to be successful in school.
Yes
Step 6: Go on to the ARD Committee meeting to develop your child’s IEP (see next section).
No, parent may seek external support for child.
The ARD committee, which includes you, the parent, as well as school district personnel, is created to write the IEP for your child. The IEP document is a blueprint for the special education services your child will receive. The IEP is revisited and adjusted regularly to make sure it continues to meet your child’s needs for as long as he receives special education services.
ARD stands for Admissions, Review and Dismissal. IEP stands for Individualized Education Program.
Referral Process Preliminary Steps
Step 1: Teacher collects data on student
Step 2 : Teacher refers student to school counselor while informing administration
Step 3: Councilor determine if parents should be contacted about special support for students
Steps Teacher Takes in Class
Step 1: Teacher collects data on all students.
A student seems to be having difficulties.
Step 2: Teacher notes the areas that the student is struggling in and develops support strategies for student.
Support strategies: Differentiated education, placement in classroom, help with planning and record keeping.
Student improves?
Yes, continue to monitor student
No
Step 3: Meet with other teachers to determine a overarching support strategy for student. Include goals for student and time frame for student to meet those goals.
Student improves?
Yes, continue to monitor student.
No.
Step 4: Refer to school counselor
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