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Special Education Procedures

Child Find

The intent of Child Find is that schools identify, locate, and evaluate all children from birth through age 21 in order for the children to receive the supports and services they need. Public schools and the Arizona Early Intervention Program are responsible for “finding” eligible children and providing services needed for them to reach their developmental milestones or meet their educational needs.

Child Find procedures include identification (screening), referral, and evaluation procedures. The Child Find process includes the Forty-Five Day Screener, the Teacher Assistance Team, the Child Study Team, and review of enrollment data and educational performance for transferring students.

For children suspected of having a disability, the CST will recommend that a multidisciplinary evaluation team conduct a full and individual evaluation to determine eligibility and need for special education.

Child Find (English)
Child Find (Spanish)

Forty-Five Day Screener

The Forty-Five Day Screener is part of the Child Find process. The school district completes the Forty-Five Day Screener within 45 calendar days after entry of each preschool or kindergarten student and any student enrolling without appropriate records of screening, evaluation, and progress in school. Screening procedures shall include vision and hearing status and consideration of the following areas: cognitive or academic, communication, motor, social or behavioral, and adaptive development. Screening does not include detailed individualized comprehensive evaluation procedures. The school maintains the results in the student’s permanent records in a location designated by the administrator. In the case of a student not enrolled, the school will maintain the results in a location designated by the administrator. If the identification (screening) process indicates a possible disability, the screener will submit the name of the student to the Child Study Team for consideration of the need for a referral for a full and individual evaluation or other services.