Referral Identification Procedures

Referral and Identification Procedures 

What to expect now that your child has been referred to the Child Study Team: 

Your child has been referred to the Child Study Team because there are concerns in one or more of the following areas:  academic achievement, developmental delays, speech and language delays, fine or gross motor difficulties, or social and emotional development. The referral to the Child Study Team may have come from a variety of sources, such as the school’s intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) team, your child’s teacher, an outside agency, or directly from you. 

The purpose of the Child Study Team is to determine whether a student is eligible for special education and/or related services.  If a student is eligible for services, an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) will be developed, started, and monitored by a case manager from the Child Study Team.  The Child Study Team does not make decisions regarding retention or provide tutoring. 

·         The Initial Planning Meeting 

Within twenty days of the Office of Special Services receiving your child’s referral, you will be invited, by mail, to attend a meeting with members of the Child Study Team and a general education teacher.  Other people may attend, at your invitation, or if the Child Study Team determines that they may need additional input.  Your letter will indicate the positions of people who will be attending the meeting, along with the date, time, and place. 

At the meeting you will discuss the reasons your child was referred, what concerns you and/or his teachers may have, and determine whether Child Study Team evaluations are necessary to determine whether your child is eligible for special education or related services.  If it is determined that evaluations are necessary, an evaluation plan will be developed, with your input, to determine which evaluations are necessary. 

You will then be asked to sign a permission form for the Child Study Team to begin the assessments. The team cannot proceed with testing until you have granted permission. 

·         Assessment and Eligibility 

Once the team has your consent to evaluate, they have 90 days to complete the assessments and, if necessary, arrange to begin special education and/or related services. 

When the team has completed the assessments, you will be invited to another meeting to discuss the results of the evaluations.  At that time, a decision will be made about whether your child is eligible for special education and/or related services.  If your child is eligible, an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) will be developed.  

·         Your Role as the Parent/Guardian 

You are a valuable member of the team, and your input is important throughout this process.  You will be included in any decisions regarding your child’s testing and/or educational program development.  Ask questions and feel free to add your insights during meetings.  If you are uncomfortable with this, please feel free to contact our child’s case manager and talk about any questions or concerns you may have. The letters we send may seem very formal and technical, and the number of people at the meetings may seem overwhelming; however, in most cases, the content of the letters and who attends are dictated to us by State and Federal law. 

For a more complete discussion of your rights, please refer to the Parental Rights booklet.  If, at any time, you have questions regarding the referral, eligibility, or IEP process, please contact the Child Study Team, and we will be happy to answer your questions.