Child Find introduced to Canton Public School District

Special to The Canton News 

Parents who are concerned about their child’s speech, learning, behavior or development are encouraged to utilize a process called Child Find.

Required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to identify, locate and evaluate all children from birth through 21 years of age who may have disabilities and may need early intervention or special education services, Child Find is an ongoing process of public awareness activities and evaluations to ensure children with special needs can receive the help they need to succeed as early as possible.

Anyone concerned about a child’s speech, learning, behavior or development can make a Child Find request. A multidisciplinary evaluation team will meet with the family within fourteen days to decide if an evaluation is needed. If so, written permission from the child’s parent is required before an evaluation is conducted. 

To make a Child Find request for a child birth through two years, individuals should contact their local Health Department.

For a child three to twenty-one years old, individuals should contact their local school district.

Although individuals do not have to bring anything with them, any records or information they have that can assist them in describing their concerns about the child are helpful.

A multidisciplinary evaluation will involve a series of observations and tests with the child and interviews with caregivers conducted by two or more specialists, such as a speech language pathologist, a school psychologist or a special educator. A written summary of the evaluation will be provided to the family, and a meeting will be held to determine if the child needs special services.

For more information, contact [email protected].