What is Project Child Find?
An effort coordinated by your local school system and the Exceptional Children Division, State Department of Public Instruction, to:
- Locate and identify children and youth ages birth through 21 with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services.
- Inform parents and/or guardians of the services available from their local school system and other state and community agencies.
Who Are the Children?
Children and youth who have been diagnosed or are suspected to have intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from a regular school program without special assistance.
- A complete evaluation and, if appropriate,
- An Individualized Education Program for children with a disability beginning at age three,
- An Individual Family Service Plan for each child with a disability birth through 2, or a referral to other agencies when needed.
For further information regarding Child Find or if you suspect your student may have a disability and need special education and/or related services, please contact:
Ginnie Ipock, EC Coordinator: ginnie@fdnsc.net; (828) 236-9441 ext. 1006
Melissa Murphy, EC Coordinator: melissa@fdnsc.net; (828)236-9441 ext. 1005
This handbook is designed to support families with the understanding of the rights and responsibilities specific to the special education process. Acronyms and terms often used in special education and resources can be found in the appendices.
If, at any time, you suspect your student may have a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services, you may request an evaluation, in writing, to your student’s school Operations Coordinator, teacher, or EC Coordinators.
The mission of the Exceptional Children Division is to ensure that students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized program in the least restrictive environment.
What is NC MTSS?
Family engagement within an MTSS is defined as the active and meaningful partnerships that educators build and maintain with students’ families for the purpose of supporting student learning. It embodies the idea that all parties are equally invested in the student’s educational experience and all parties bring knowledge and skills of equal value to the table to work together.
This linked infographic is intended to support NC families in understanding what NC educators are referring to when they are talking about an MTSS.
What is “support”?
NC schools that are implementing MTSS may talk about support for students. To further define that support, NC organizes these supports around the instruction, the curriculum, and the environment. This linked infographic is intended to promote understanding and conversations around how school teams are providing these supports to all, some, and a few students based on needs.