Your Guide to Special Education: The Child Find Process

As a Special Education Cooperative serving our 20 member school districts, we are deeply committed to ensuring that every child receives the support they need to succeed. Our districts are legally obligated to actively seek out and identify all students who may have disabilities—a process known as Child Find, which is required by federal and state guidelines (IDEA).

Here is an overview of how we work together to connect children from birth to age 21 with appropriate services:

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Ages Birth to 5: Getting an Early Start

• Birth to Age 3 (Early Intervention): If you have concerns about your infant or toddler’s development, contact your local Child and Family Connections (CFC) office.
• Ages 3-5 (Preschool Program): Students are identified for special education through the Child Find process. Developmental screening and services are available through the Preschool Program for children who may need early intervention or special education services before they enter kindergarten. Your member district can provide you with information regarding their screening dates and processes.

School-Age Students (K-Age 21): The Identification Process

Our member school districts have a legal obligation to actively seek out and identify all students in the District who have disabilities that significantly impact academic achievement and/or functional performance.

1. Concern and Review: When a concern is expressed by school staff, a student, or a parent, the student’s academic and social/emotional status is reviewed through a problem-solving process call MTSS.
2. Interventions: Teachers and support staff, with student and parent input, may develop and implement interventions and strategies to address needs. If these interventions successfully support the student, no further action is necessary.
3. Case Study Evaluation: When strategies and intervention plans are not successful, an individual assessment, called a case study evaluation, is initiated to determine eligibility for special education services.

The Case Study Evaluation (CSE) - What to Expect

A CSE is conducted with written parent/guardian consent and is a series of assessments and data collection procedures that provide comprehensive information about the student.

• The Educational Team (including parents) decides what assessments are needed, which may include: psychological, achievement, adaptive behavior, speech and language, occupational/physical therapy, vision and hearing screenings, health history, and a social developmental study.
• The assessment must be completed within 60 school days from the date of written parental consent.
• Private Evaluations: Any private evaluations voluntarily provided by parents are considered by the educational team. Within 14 days of receiving a private evaluation or other assessment request, the team determines whether additional steps are warranted.
• When the CSE is completed, the results are shared and eligibility for special education services is determined by the educational team.

Eligibility for Special Education

To receive special education services, students must be determined to have an adverse educational impact from one of the following exceptionalities, as defined by the Illinois State Board of Education:

• Autism (includes, but is not limited to, any Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Deaf-blindness
• Deafness
• Emotional disability
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Specific learning disability
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment

Next Steps After Eligibility

• If the student is determined eligible, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed and reviewed annually.
• Eligibility for special education services is reevaluated every three years.
• Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities must be shared with parents if a case study evaluation is initiated and thereafter provided annually to families if their child receives special education services.

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Ready to take the next step? Learn more and find resources on the official Illinois Child Find website: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Special-Education-Parents-of-Students-with-Disabilities.aspx