Child Find

The process of gathering information to determine whether a child has a disability and needs special education services. An evaluation must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies, cannot rely on a single measure, must be administered by trained professionals, and must assess all areas of suspected disability.

The federal law that guarantees all children with disabilities access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). IDEA requires schools to find, evaluate, and serve children with disabilities from birth through age 21. It establishes the right to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and provides procedural safeguards for families.

A document that summarizes evaluation findings and determines whether a student qualifies for special education services under IDEA. The report must identify whether the student has a disability under one of the 13 IDEA categories and whether that disability adversely affects educational performance, requiring specially designed instruction. States use various names for this document including ETR (Ohio), FIE (Texas), and MET Report (Michigan).