Child Find Notice
Five Town CSD / MSAD 28 have a duty to locate, evaluate and identify any child residing in the Districts who qualifies for Special Education services or any child attending the public schools who may require Section 504 accommodations or services.
Children eligible for special education include those children with disabilities who have autism, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury, visual impairment, or developmental delay and who, because of such an impairment, need special education services.
Children eligible for Section 504 accommodations or services include those children who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.
If you suspect your child has a disability and may need special education services or 504 accommodations, or if you would like additional information, please contact your child’s teacher, or call the Director of Student Services, Jessica Yates at 207-236-7812.
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS
The Procedural Safeguards set forth in the Maine Unified Special Education Regulations are the rights that apply when children are in the referral process for special education; or already identified under special education; or whose parents believe should be identified under special education. Procedural Safeguards can be accessed HERE.
SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERVIEW
Maine Unified Special Education Regulations, Chapter 101, governs the provision of equal educational opportunities for all Maine students with disabilities between the ages of 5 and 20 enrolled in public schools. Each school unit must ensure that students with disabilities are provided a free appropriate public education (F.A.P.E.) in the least restrictive educational environment, per state regulations, as well as the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA).
The special education process for which school units are responsible has several components. In brief, the process includes a child find process to determine which students may have disabilities that would require referral to an Individualized Education Team (I.E.P. Team). A second phase includes more individualized evaluations of each referred student and a discussion of the evaluation and other data by the I.E.P. team composed of school staff and parents. Other person who have knowledge of the student may be invited to attend the I.E.P. team meeting at which it is determined:
A. Whether the student is a student with a disability in need of special education services; AND
B. What special education and related services are appropriate for the student’s education needs.
Once these determinations are made, the I.E.P. team will write an Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) for the student.
The provision of a free appropriate public education and the placement of the student will be made according to the provisions of the I.E.P. The I.E.P. will be developed and placement will be made in accordance with the principle of the “least restrictive environment” (LRE).
The special education process affords special rights to students with disabilities and their parents through “due process” protections. A parent must be involved in the evaluation, identification, and development of the student’s Individualized Education Program and the placement of the student in a special education placement. If the parent does not agree with the proposed evaluation or refuses evaluation, identification, program or placement, the parent may request mediation, file a complaint or request a due process hearing.