ERIC Number: EJ1150381
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-May
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0040-0599
EISSN: N/A
Child Find Activities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Recent Case Law
Ennis, Robin Parks; Blanton, Kimberly; Katsiyannis, Antonis
TEACHING Exceptional Children, v49 n5 p301-308 May-Jun 2017
Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (IDEA's forerunner) in 1975, an important requirement has been Child Find activities. According to Shapiro and Derrington (2004), Child Find is broadly defined as the entire range of activities, including public awareness, identification, referral, eligibility determination, and enrollment. Specifically, the law mandates that all children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated and a practical method is developed and implemented to determine which children with disabilities are currently receiving needed special education and related services. In addition, IDEA Regulations (2012) stipulate that Child Find must include children who are suspected of having a disability, even when advancing from grade to grade, and those who are highly mobile, including children who are migrants (34 CFR 300.311[c]). Unfortunately, school officials can fail to meet this requirement by "intentionally ignoring" clear signs of academic and behavioral problems. Despite the existence of this fundamental requirement since 1975, Child Find activities continue to be a challenge for school districts in meeting their obligations under IDEA. This article provides practice implications, and Table 1 lists ways to address common Child Find errors highlighted by recent cases. School officials must remain vigilant in implementing Child Find activities outlined in federal and state regulations and local procedures. School districts are likely to be found in violation of Child Find activities when school officials overlook signs of a disability, fail to evaluate, or have no justification for deciding not to evaluate.
Descriptors: Disabilities, Federal Legislation, Equal Education, Educational Legislation, Related Services (Special Education), Special Needs Students, Eligibility, Progress Monitoring, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), At Risk Students, Educational Practices, Fidelity, Barriers, Change Strategies, Disability Identification, Educational Quality
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A