Section 226.100  Child Find Responsibility

This Section implements the requirements of 34 CFR 300.111.

a)         Each school district shall be responsible for actively seeking out and identifying all children from birth through age 21 within the district (and those parentally-placed private school children for whom the district is responsible under 34 CFR 300.131) who may be eligible for special education and related services.  Procedures developed to fulfill the child find responsibility shall include:

1)         An annual screening of children under the age of five for the purpose of identifying those who may need early intervention or special education and related services.

2)         Ongoing review of each child's performance and progress by teachers and other professional personnel, in order to refer those children who exhibit problems which interfere with their educational progress and/or their adjustment to the educational setting, suggesting that they may be eligible for special education and related services.

3)         Ongoing coordination with early intervention programs to identify children from birth through two years of age who have or are suspected of having disabilities, in order to ensure provision of services in accordance with applicable timelines.  Each local school district shall participate in transition planning conferences arranged by the designated lead agency under 20 USC 1437(a)(9) in order to develop a transition plan enabling the public school to implement an IFSP or IEP no later than the third birthday of each eligible child.

b)         When the responsible school district staff members conclude that an individual evaluation of a particular child is warranted based on factors such as a child's educational progress, interaction with others, or other functioning in the school environment, the requirements for evaluation set forth in this Subpart B shall apply.

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 9915, effective June 28, 2007)