Exceptional Student Services 928-717-3236
Child Find is a component of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services.
In compliance with federal legislation, the Prescott Unified School District has established the following policies and procedures for Child Find purposes:
Prescott Unified School District Policy assures that:
- Prescott Unified School District will maintain documentation of the public awareness efforts to inform the public and parents within the district’s boundaries, including private and religious schools and the County School Superintendent’s Office regarding homeless and home-schooled children.
- Screen activities will be implemented for all newly enrolled students and those transferring in without sufficient records.
- The screening will be completed within 45 calendar days of school entry.
- The screening will include consideration of academic or cognitive skills, vision, hearing, communication, emotional, motor and adaptive development.
- Review referral and follow-up will be done on screenings and documented in the child’s cumulative file, with back up data on the district’s Child Find Screening Log.
- Prescott Unified School District will maintain documentation and annually report the number of children with disabilities within each disability category that have been identified, located and evaluated.
- For children and youth enrolled in private or religious schools, Prescott Unified School District will consult annually with those schools to determine the number of students identified as eligible for special education and related services regardless whether they are receiving services or not.
- Children participating in early intervention services who are expected to participate in preschool programs for children with disabilities will be assured a smooth and effective transition, including:
- Transition conferences will be arranged for children between the ages of 2 years, 6 months and 2 years, 9 months;
- By a child’s 3rd birthday, an IEP or IFSP will be developed and implemented to ensure a Free and Appropriate Public Education
- And, for children who turn 3 years of age during the summer, the IEP team will determine the date for initiation of services including eligibility for extended school year services.
- Prescott Unified School District will refer children aged birth through 2 years suspected of having a developmental delay to the Arizona Early Intervention Program to determine eligibility for early services, using the Child Find Tracking Form to ensure follow up within 30 calendar days of initial referral.