Child Find

Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA†) that requires states to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of an Early Intervention Program (Part C) or Early Childhood Special Education (Part B) services. Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening, and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all young children with disabilities and their families. The Child Development Days screening events are the Southern Door County School District’s primary child find activity. For more specific information or to schedule your child, please contact the Pupil Services Office at 920-825-7312 or complete this online appointment form.


Child Development Days 2023-24


All parents and children aged 2.5-4 years old and not yet in school, residing in the Southern Door County School District, are invited to participate in a free developmental screening sponsored by the Southern Door Schools.  Please note that this event is not a school-readiness check and is not required for entrance to 4K;  however it is a special opportunity for young children and their families, and we encourage you to consider participation for your young child!  Your appointment will involve a play-based screening conducted by educators familiar with the needs of young children, as well as a caregiver questionnaire.   Play allows young children to feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar setting, and your input as a parent/caregiver is vital to the screening process!  Each appointment will conclude with a follow-up discussion with the educator(s) who conducted the screening, so that you have a clear understanding of your child's screening results and current development, and an opportunity to ask any questions or concerns you may have.  School staff will also guide you through next steps (if applicable).

The Southern Door County School District wants to make your child’s school experience as successful as possible. Participating in this district-wide screening can help us achieve this goal.  Even if you have no concerns regarding your child’s development, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this FREE opportunity!

2023-2024 School Year: We will hold one screening date each month, October-April. 

Available dates of screenings:
  • Friday, October 13, 2023 (daytime appointments)
  • Friday, November 10, 2023 (daytime appointments)
  • Friday, December 08, 2023 (daytime appointments)
  • Wednesday, January 10, 2024 (daytime appointments)
  • Friday, February 09, 2024 (daytime appointments)
  • Wednesday, March 06, 2024 (NEW!  evening appointments)
  • Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (daytime appointments)
  • Friday, April 12, 2024 (daytime appointments)

Please contact Pupil Services Administrative Assistant Mary Hall to schedule your appointment: call 920-825-7312 ext. 4501, email [email protected], or complete this online appointment form.

We look forward to seeing you and your child!

Please see the flyers below for more information (click to enlarge thumbnail):

Screening Poster thumbnail  Screening Poster ESP thumbnail  Online Appointment Form - thumbnail



Southern Door School District
NOTICE OF CHILD FIND ACTIVITIES AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH CHILD FIND ACTIVITIES

The Southern Door School District is required to locate, identify, and evaluate all children, with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools located in the Southern Door School District, and homeless children. The process of locating, identifying, and evaluating children with disabilities is known as Child Find.

SCREENINGS
The District conducts developmental screening of preschool children throughout the school year with a focus on a district wide screenings of 3-5 year-olds. The information from screening is used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff believes a child might be a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Upon request, the School District will screen any resident child who has not graduated from high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting David Desmond, Director of Pupil Services, at 920-825-7312 ext 4503 or by writing to him at 2073 Cty Rd DK Brussels, WI 54204.

REFERRALS
Upon request, the Southern Door School District is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine if the child has a disability, and if the child needs special education services. The district locates, identifies, and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private (including religious) schools, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district. A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker, or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made. Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child resides. Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Persons considering making a referral are encouraged to contact the district’s school psychologist or director of special education to review concerns/questions. A referral may be made by contacting the school psychologist or director of special education. 

This notice also informs parents of the records the School District will develop and maintain as part of its child find activities and informs parents of their rights regarding any records developed. The school district gathers personally identifiable information on any child who participates in child find activities. Parents, teachers, and other professionals provide information to the school related to the child’s academic performance, behavior, and health. This information is used to determine whether the child needs special education services. Personally identifiable information directly related to a child and maintained by the school is a pupil record. Pupil records include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.

The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.
        · "Progress records" include grades, courses the child has taken, the child's attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.
        · "Behavioral records" include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil's behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers' records, and other pupil records that are not "progress records." Law enforcement officers'
records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The school district informs parents when pupil records are no
longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child's parents, the school district destroys the information that is no longer needed.




† IDEA requires all states to have a "comprehensive Child Find system" to assure that all children who are in need of early intervention or special education services are located, identified, and referred. The lead agency for Part C - Early Intervention Program is the Department of Health and Family Services and for Part B - special education early childhood is the State Department of Public Instruction. These agencies are responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive child find system. Children receiving Early Intervention or Special Education services must meet eligibility guidelines according to the IDEA.

Pupil Services Dept. DPI model revised version 8/07/08 http://www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/referral-english.html
Part of Southern Door School District’s Annual notice and place prior to Child Find activity