Is your child eligible for ESE enrollment? This section answers many eligibility questions, starting with the initial process of referral.
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Q: |
Who can start the referral process? |
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A: |
One or more of the following people may start the first step in the
referral process:
- Parents
- Teachers
- The student
- School personnel
- FDLRS/Child Find
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Q: |
How does the referral process
begin? |
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A: |
The
process begins when any one of the above people feels the child is
experiencing significant problems with learning and/or behavior.
- A teacher may fill out a referral form.
- A student may not do well on tests called screenings - for example, tests of
vision or hearing.
- A doctor, social worker, or other such person may contact the school about your
child.
- An older student may ask for special help themselves.
- You may tell the school that you think your child needs special help, and/or you
may put your request for an evaluation in writing. It is best to put all your
requests to the school in writing. If you make the referral yourself, write down
the name of the person you talked to and the date. If you write a letter or
note, keep a copy.
- If your child is of school age but is not currently enrolled in a public school
(e.g., a private school student or a student new to the county), call the school
district ESE Office for information about the referral process in your school
district.
No matter who has referred your child, you should be told about it. You should
know when the referral was made and why. |
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Q: |
During the referral process,
what type of information is gathered? |
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A: |
Information is gathered from the following sources:
- Parent conferences
- Observations of the child by other school staff
- The child's work samples
- Review of academic, behavioral, emotional and medical records
- Instructional and/or behavioral interventions
- Review of attendance records
- Data for use in instructional and/or behavioral planning
- Any outside evaluations that the parent has obtained can be shared at this time
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Q: |
After the information and data
are gathered, what happens next? |
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A: |
Once
the information is gathered about the student's strengths and needs, school
personnel, with input from the parent, will develop intervention strategies
to be implemented in the student's educational settings. A plan may include
interventions such as:
- Curriculum accommodations
- Peer tutoring
- Different methods of classroom instruction (e.g. use of visual or auditory aides
such as an overhead projector or oral testing)
- Classroom environment changes (e.g. as preferential seating; a change in the
teacher assignment)
Additional strategies that may be attempted might include the following:
- Counseling support from the school guidance counselor
- A behavior modification plan
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Q: |
How long are these
interventions implemented? |
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A: |
Interventions
are implemented long enough to determine whether they are having the desired
effect on the student's progress. At some point, interventions may need to
be modified to ensure student success. Therefore, the timelines for
interventions will vary from student to student. |
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Q: |
What happens if the
interventions are successful in helping the student to make enough progress
in the areas of need? |
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A: |
The
interventions are continued with the student and the referral process stops
here. |
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Q: |
What happens if the
interventions are not successful enough for the student to make satisfactory
progress? |
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A: |
If
the interventions are not successful in meeting the student's needs, a
referral to the school's Child Study Team is made. Some counties may call
this team the Intervention Team or the Student Services Team.
You will receive a Parent Invitation letter to attend the team meeting to
discuss your child's progress. The team reviews all the information gathered and
determines if other interventions or adjustments are appropriate. The team may:
- Allow more time with the interventions
- Request social work services
- Request sessions with the school guidance counselor
- Modify interventions
- Implement new interventions
- Review academic, behavioral and emotional skills
- Review medical evaluations
- Refer the student for an individual evaluation
- Decide that no additional action is needed
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Q: |
If the team feels a
comprehensive evaluation is necessary, is my written consent for an
evaluation required? |
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A: |
Yes,
if the team decides that an individual evaluation is needed, a Consent for
Evaluation, including a copy of the Procedural Safeguards, is provided to
you to sign. Before the school system can begin any evaluation, your
informed parental consent is required in writing. |
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Q: |
Before I give consent for my
child's individual evaluation, what questions should I ask? |
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A: |
You
may want to ask the following questions:
- Who will administer the tests?
- When will you give my child the tests?
- What tests will you give my child and what areas will each test cover?
- What information will each test provide about my child's strengths and
weaknesses?
- Will the teacher who is most knowledgeable about my child be part of the
evaluation process?
- When and how will I have an opportunity to provide input into the evaluation?
- Will you allow me to be present during evaluations?
- When will I receive evaluation results?
- Will you consider private reports if I provide them?
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Q: |
What happens if I do not want
my child evaluated? |
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A: |
If
you, or the school, suspect that your child may have special needs that are
interfering with learning and achievement, it is the school's legal
responsibility under federal law to pursue an evaluation. It is hoped that
after you and the school have a chance to talk and discuss your child, you
will understand why the school has requested the evaluation and what areas
they believe need to be evaluated. However, if you continue to refuse
written consent for the evaluation, the school has the right to file a
request for mediation or a due process hearing. |
For additional information, please see the Individual Evaluation section in
Frequently Asked Questions.
