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Child Find: (§300.109 and §300.111) (USBE SER II.A.)
Do you suspect that your child/student has a disability that falls under IDEA?
Washington County School District has policies and procedures to ensure that all students with disabilities ages birth through 21 (including students who are highly mobile -- such as students who are migrant and homeless, students who have been suspended or expelled from school, students who have not graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma, those who are suspected of being a student with a disability and who are in need of special education or special education and related services even though they are advancing from grade to grade, and regardless of the severity of the disability, and home school students within the LEA’s boundaries) are identified, located, and evaluated. The determination that a student is a “student with a disability” under these procedures must be made on an individual basis, by a team made up of the parent and school personnel determined by the student’s LEA.
If you suspect your child may be eligible for special education services under IDEA, please first contact your local school special education department
The Three Prongs
When does a student qualify for special education services? This is the primary question for many educators. With eligibility criteria for any of the categories, students must meet this three prong test. Remember, no one person automatically qualifies for special education and related services. This is why.
Prong 1- Does the child have a diagnosed disability? After conducting a comprehensive evaluation, the eligibility team will look at the test results and determine under which of the 14 disability categories the student would qualify. The diagnosed disability is based upon the Utah eligibility criteria.
Prong 2- Does the diagnosed disability adversely affect the child’s educational performance? The IEP team needs to determine how the skill areas affected by the disability are impacting the child's educational performance. Functional assessment data would be a source of information the team could use to assist in making this determination. A comparison between the child's current skill levels and the skill levels appropriate for their current age/grade level would be one indication of educational impact. State/district wide assessment data, baseline data etc. are also source for determining educational impact.
Prong 3- Does the child require "specially designed instruction" to receive FAPE? Even if a child has a diagnosed disability and the skill areas affected by the disability adversely affect the child's education performance, the child must also meet this final prong. The child must require specially designed instruction to benefit from education (i.e. require an IEP). For example, a child may meet the eligibility criteria for visual impairment. Data may indicate that the impairment impacts educational performance. However, with the provision of assistive technology and large print books, the child is able to successfully function in the general curriculum with their peers; therefore, they would not be eligible for special education since they would not require specially designed instruction (IEP).
Special Education Disability Specific
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