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Child Find/Referral
In order for schools to provide services for students with disabilities as early as possible, IDEA has mandated that school districts locate, identify, and evaluate students who may have a disability, regardless of the severity of the disability, from birth to the age of 21 (Wrightslaw, 2008a). -
Disposition of Referral
Once a student is suspected of having a disability, the school district must gather a team, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, which contains the professionals needed in order to review student information. In New Hampshire, a school district must hold a meeting of review within 15 calendar days. -
Evaluation
If the IEP team decides that there is not enough information to determine if a student is eligible for services listed under IDEA or Section 504, then the student is referred to have an evaluation, after having written parental consent, within 60 days. -
Evaluation Meeting with Eligibility Determination
IEP team and parents review the results from the evaluation, and if the child is found to have a disability recognized by IDEA, then the child qualifies for services, and within 30 days an IEP meeting must be held to draft an IEP. -
IEP
The school has 30 days to draft an IEP for the student (PIC, 2008b, para. 1). An IEP will contain information about the specific student regarding their individual needs, goals, and applicable accommodations, modifications, and/or assistive technology that are needed to aid the student. -
Placement
Wrightslaw (2008b), explains that, “the decision about placement cannot be made until after the IEP team, which includes the parent, reaches consensus about the child’s needs, programs, and goals” (para. 21). -
Progress Monitoring
Once goals for the student have been established, that the staff members teaching and working with the student on meeting his/her goal, will monitor the student’s progress toward fulfilling his/her goals on a weekly, or monthly basis, by conducting an assessment. -
Triennial Evaluation
The U.S. Department of Education (2013b) explains that students must be evaluated every three years to determine whether the student is still eligible to receive services.
