Child Find and School Age Transition Teams
Child Find is the beginning of the special education evaluation process. It requires that all Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) locate, identify, and evaluate any and all children within their jurisdiction who would benefit from, and are eligible for, special ed services and provide those services to them. The District informs the public about special education through its website, brochures and posters provided by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU), and public notices placed by the MCIU in local newspapers.
As part of our Child Find responsibilities, the District's School Age Transition Team (SATT) assesses the educational needs of students transitioning from early intervention programs and consults with local pre-schools regarding the educational needs of incoming students. In addition, the educational needs of students attending District schools are monitored by each school's Achievement Team. These teams focus on meeting the educational needs of students within the general educational classroom with increasing intensity and frequency of general education support as indicated by data.
When data indicates possible need for additional services and/or support, the parents/guardians are asked to provide signed informed consent so that the special education eligibility may be determined. Parents/guardians residing in the District also may request an evaluation to determine the special education eligibility of their child attending one of our schools. This request must be in writing and submitted to a member of the professional staff of the school. Signed, informed parental consent will subsequently be requested by the school. Evaluations are completed within 60 days (excluding summer) by a multidisciplinary team whose composition varies based on the identified area(s) of educational concern. It will include observations by team members at the child's current educational setting, interviews with professionals who work with the student, a record review, and testing in the identified areas of educational concern. If the child is found to be eligible for special education services, an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is developed by the IEP team, including the parent/guardian, and a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) is issued to provide the student a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
In addition to these Child Find activities, the District fulfills its Child Find responsibilities for students who reside within the District's boundaries but attend non-public schools. This process begins when a parent/guardian registers a child in the District and requests an evaluation of the child to determine special education eligibility. The Supervisor of Student Services (Dr. Lauren Walker, WalkerL@lmsd.org, 610.645.1873) subsequently contacts the parent/guardian to arrange a parent interview to determine the scope of the requested evaluation and obtain signed informed consent.