Child Find is a statewide effort by the State Department of Education and the Department of Rehabilitation Services to locate, identify, and evaluate children with disabilities from birth to age 21.

Early Intervention and Special Education Services work closely with community service agencies, parents, and local school systems to locate children with disabilities. A toll-free number is provided for parents or other persons interested in referring a child from birth to age 21.

Contact:

Lauren Perry, Special Services Coordinator
Satsuma City Schools
251-380-8208

Child Find Poster

OR

Alabama State Department of Education
Special Education Services
1-800-392-8020

Child Find helps the child, the family, and the provider to plan appropriate services and link families to services for students meeting eligibility requirements in the following disability areas:

• Autism
• Deaf-Blindness
• Developmentally Delayed
• Emotional Disturbance
• Hearing Impairment
• Intellectual Disability
• Multiple Disabilities
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Other Health Impairment
• Specific Learning Disabilities
• Speech and Language Impairment
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment

Any person who has knowledge of a child (ages 3 - 21) suspected of having a disability may refer the child.  However, the school is required to present the child to the Response to Instruction (RTI) Problem Solving Team (PST) to recommend, implement, and monitor interventions to address the child's specific concerns.

A school has 60 days from the date the school receives signed parental consent for an initial evaluation to complete the assessments and conduct an eligibility determination meeting.  An IEP team must convene with 30 days from the date of eligibility to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a child.

The Alabama Administrative Code (found on the Alabama State Department of Education's webpage at www.alabamaachieves.org, Sections, Special Education) contains the Alabama Administrative Code which has all of the special education regulations and procedures school districts must follow.  A copy of the Special Education Parent Rights is also included on the state website.

The IEP team develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is designed to provide the student with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to assist the student in making progress toward attaining academic standards. The IEP includes a profile of the student, special instructional factors, transition services (if over 16 years of age), a present level of academic achievement or functional performance, measurable goals/benchmarks, type of special education services, accommodations for the classroom, and assessment, supports for staff, general factors, determination of the least restrictive environment, etc. 

The type of service a student may receive depends upon the needs of the student.  However, to the maximum extent possible, a student must be educated with children who do not have a disability within the general education classroom.  Students may receive services in the classroom with accommodations, with support in the classroom from the special education staff, in co-taught classes, in the special education classroom for intervention/remediation, etc.  Students with severe cognitive disabilities can receive services in an academic setting separate from the general education setting if the IEP team determines this is the most appropriate environment.  The decision about services is based on the student's individual needs.

An IEP is in effect for not more than one calendar year. However, the IEP can be reviewed and revised at any time by the IEP team when either the parent or the school requests an IEP meeting.

A student's IEP is accessible to each person responsible for implementing the IEP. In addition, each teacher and service provider must be informed of their responsibilities related to implementing the child's IEP and specific accommodations, modifications, and supports (i.e., training, equipment, etc.) provided for the child.

A reevaluation must be completed no later than three years from the date of the last eligibility meeting.  However, a parent may request that a reevaluation be completed no more than once a year.  When a reevaluation is needed, the IEP team determines the types of evaluations that should be completed and meets to decide whether the student is eligible for special education services. If the student does not meet the criteria for continuing services, the student is determined ineligible and is dismissed from services.

When a student is dismissed from services, they are referred to the Response to Intervention (RtI) Problem Solving Team (PST) to determine interventions that need to be in place to help the student transition from special education services.

It is recommended that the parent talk with the teacher and/or the principal first. If satisfaction is not achieved, a call can be made to the Special Education Coordinator (251-380-8208) to discuss the concerns. It is always best to try to resolve the concerns at the school and/or district level first. However, if the parent is still not satisfied, they have the right to file a complaint with the State, request a resolution meeting (if both the parent and school agree), request mediation, or request a due process hearing.  Procedures for requesting each are included on the Alabama state website www.alabamaachieves.org in the Alabama Administrative Code or the Special Education Parent Rights.

Any person who has knowledge of or interest in the student may refer him or her.

• Date of referral
• Student's name and demographic data
• Information about the student's problem
• Documentation of pre-referral interventions and their effectiveness
• Completion of environmental, economic, cultural, concerns checklist
• IEP Team members' signatures

A referral begins with the date that the education agency is notified that a parent, teacher, student, administrator, doctor, or any other person who has knowledge of or interest in the student wishes to initiate a referral. The process from the date the parent signed consent for an initial evaluation to IEP development must be completed within the following timelines regardless of any scheduled interruptions in the scholastic year or the scheduled summer vacation.

• Initial evaluations must be completed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date the school received the signed parent consent for initial evaluation.

• Eligibility must be determined no later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date initial evaluations were completed.

• An IEP meeting must be held and placement made within thirty (30) calendar days after the student is determined eligible.

• Not less than one general education teacher of the student (if the student is or may be participating in the regular education environment)
• Not less than one special education or special education provider of the student
• The parent, guardian, or surrogate parent of the student
• A Local Education Agency (LEA) representative who is qualified to provide or supervise specially designed instruction, is knowledgeable about general education curriculum and is knowledgeable of and able to commit available resources
• Someone who can interpret evaluation results
• Other persons knowledgeable about the student, including related service personnel
• Whenever appropriate, the student 
• Transition services participants, for students 16 years of age or older

The IEP Team is a team of people who meet to make decisions about evaluation, eligibility, and programming for students.

INITIAL REFERRAL, EVALUATION, REEVALUATION

• Reviews the initial referral
• Reviews existing data and determines the need for evaluation
• If the student is to be evaluated, determines what areas and what evaluations will be conducted
• Obtains parental written informed consent for evaluations to be conducted
• If the student is not to be evaluated, provides written notice to the parent of the intent not to evaluate
• Reviews the existing data and determines what, if any, additional data is needed for reevaluations.

ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION

• Reviews data and determines whether the student is a student with a disability and determines the educational needs of the student
• A team must rule out that the cause of the academic deficiency is a result of lack of reading instruction (in the five essential components of reading utilizing scientifically-based research reading interventions and strategies) and/or math instruction (utilizing research-based interventions and strategies) or lack of English proficiency
• Provides a copy of the evaluation report and the documentation of determination of eligibility to the parent

IEP DEVELOPMENT/ DECISIONS

• Develops a narrative statement of the student's present levels of functional performance as well as academic achievement, including how the student's disability affects the student's involvement and progress in the general curriculum
• Develops measurable annual goals, including standards-based academic achievement and functional goals designed to meet the student's needs to enable the student to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum
• Determines if special transportation is needed and what, if any, accommodations are needed
• Determines the type of special education services and amount of time the student will receive special education services within the regular classroom and outside of the regular classroom
• Determines supplementary aids and services (i.e., accommodations) needed by the student to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum
• Determines assistive technology needs (i.e., low tech and high tech)
• Determines related services (i.e., occupational therapy, speech therapy if not the primary exceptionality, audiology, etc.) that are needed for the student to make progress toward their goals
• Determines accommodations needed for regular assessments
• Determines supports needed for school personnel to implement the student's IEP
• Determines how progress will be assessed and reported
• Determines whether Extended School Year services are needed to prevent the student from regressing beyond a reasonable recoupment period
• Determines which assessments and how the student will participate in State and district-wide assessments and determines accommodations needed to participate fully
• Determines transition services needed (beginning at age 16)
• Develops a behavior plan if the student's behavior interferes with their educational performance and/or that of others
• Determines whether the student's misbehavior is a direct and substantial relationship to their disability (manifestation determination) within ten (10) days of the behavior
• Determines Alternate Education Settings that will be in place for a student if they are recommended for expulsion or suspension for more than ten (10) days