Child Find and IDEA

Child Find Mandate

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes the Child Find requirement. Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This obligation to identify all children who may need special education services exists even if the school is not providing special education services to the child. IDEA requires all states to develop and implement a practical method of determining which children are children with disabilities are receiving special education and related services and which children are not.

The Desert/Mountain SELPA and Charter SELPA assure an ongoing effort to identify all individuals with disabilities including infants, children for whom English is not a primary language, students with low incidence disabilities, students attending private schools, children from families that are highly mobile, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The SELPA works closely with public agencies such as Inland Regional Center (IRC), Head Start, California Children's Services (CCS), Behavioral Health, and others as appropriate in the identification of individuals with disabilities.

If you have or know of a child you feel needs special education services, contact your school district (local education agency) Special Education Office for information regarding the process

Anyone who believes a school district (local education agency) is in violation of federal or state laws or regulations governing special education programs may file a written complaint with the local school district. These complaints must include a statement(s) of the specific concerns of the person filing the complaints, including the laws alleging to be violated. In addition, the complaint should include the name, address, and telephone number where the person filing the complaint can be reached.

Questions: Email Due Process Analyst | Phone: 760-955-3553