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The Law's CHILD FIND: Schools Legal Duty to Evaluate Children with Suspect Disability

You may not have heard of the CHILD FIND MANDATE. It’s a legal requirement for schools to find children who have disabilities and need services. Identifying these kids is an important first step toward getting them the help they need to succeed in school.
Child Find is part of a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law protects the rights of students with disabilities.
Federal Requirements for Child Find Systems
A Brief Overview
- Child Find is a legal requirement that schools find all children who have disabilities and who may be entitled to special education services.
- Child Find covers every child from birth through age 21.
- The school must evaluate any child whom it knows or suspects may have a disability
Remote Screening, Evaluation, and Assessment - Birth to Age Five
Assessment in Special Education Series
MORE INFO HERE:
IEP Eligibility vs Medical Diagnosis

Understanding the differences between a medical diagnosis and an educational determination of eligibility for special education services can help you become a better advocate for your child.
A medical diagnosis is made by a doctor or other specially trained clinician by using symptom criteria set in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a book published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
By contrast, educational eligibility is decided by a team comprised of various school professionals and a student’s parents. The team must find that the student qualifies for services under IDEA.
Who Qualifies?
Before a student can receive special education services, he or she must be evaluated for eligibility. Under IDEA, there are currently 13 categories under which a child can receive these services:
- Autism
- Deaf-blindness
- Deafness
- Emotional disturbance
- Hearing impairment
- Intellectual disability*
- Multiple disabilities
- Orthopedic impairment
- Other health impairment
- Specific learning disability
- Speech or language impairment
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visual impairment
*ID has also been referred to as “Mental Retardation” (MR) in the past, and the term and its acronym may be used colloquially or in older documentation. It is not, however, a currently accepted practice to refer to individuals with intellectual disabilities as mentally retarded.
SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATIONS
According to Education Law Center, "before a child can begin receiving special education services, the child must be evaluated to determine if the child is eligible for these services. The evaluation helps determine if the child has a disability and needs special education services. The evaluation is also important to identify changes to instruction, services, and supports the child needs to succeed."
The IEP & The Law - Timelines

An IEP is a legal document that identifies a child’s disability, necessary services to help the child achieve measurable goals, and a specific plan for measuring progress.
Once an IEP is created and agreed upon by all members, it is a legally binding document, and schools are held accountable for providing the services outlined in the plan.
it’s important for parents to be knowledgeable about special education and the IEP process—from the initial referral and evaluation meeting to the IEP development and progress monitoring—in order to increase their understanding, confidence, and ultimately, their ability to help their child be successful in school.
Make Your Resource Binder
We suggest you make a separate binder with copies of the following laws and forms. Use tabs to separate each document.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Downloadable PDF)
- The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations for special education (Downloadable PDF)
- Your state’s education act and regulations (see here)
- Model form of prior written notice (Downloadable PDF)
- Federal guidance on your procedural safeguards (Downloadable PDF)
Individual Educational Plan (IEP) - The Process

The IEP (or Individualized Education Plan) is a document which outlines a child’s educational needs due to a disability, and the services they will receive to help them learn in their educational setting.
The individualized program involves several steps, beginning with pre-referral and ending with evaluation of a child's program.
Note that every person involved in the child's education is part of a TEAM. Each person, including the parent, has important information and skills to add to the team. We work together to make sure children are successful.
Look at the US Department of Education: A Guide to the Individualized Education Program
We recommend reading this article weeks before attending your child's IEP meeting.
50 Common IEP Meeting Questions
During an IEP meeting, we recommend you ask these questions:
10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask at an IEP Meeting
Special Education Advocacy

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees that each child with a disability who needs special education has the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
SOS Paralegal, LLC connects with families to guide them to identify, obtain, and maintain services that will enable their children to fulfill the IDEA requirements. The main focus is to collaborate with your child's IEP's multi-disciplinary team to maximize outcomes. We are qualified to support your child in the following areas:
- Academic records review
- Current levels of performance
- Goals Development
- Data collection systems
- IEP Meetings
- LRE
- Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
- IEP Implementation
- Multidisciplinary team collaborations
- Placement
- Parent training
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Special Education
Self-Determination - PC Plan & Independent Facilitator

It Is Your Future ? IT IS YOUR RIGHT
Self-Determination is based on values of human rights, interdependence, choice, and social inclusion. You direct your own services and support. We are here to help you to walk through the process and give you the key to control it 100%.
The Self-Determination Program is a creative type of program that is intended to put you in charge of your services and support.
- You have more control and responsibility.
- You find services and supports that fit your life.
- You decide how money is spent to meet your goals.
Your Personal-Centered Plan (PCP) is the foundation for your child's success and we are your Independent Facilitator with the expertise to initiate the process and train you to have control.
Control My IEP is an official and certified provider of Personal-Centered Plan (PCP) and Independent Facilitator services in California.
Yo Domino Mi IEP Charlas via Zoom

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Special Education
Advocacy & Mediation

Empowering Families to Success
The mission statement of Control my IEP is to help parents across Southern California with their special needs child to secure appropriate quality special education services (FAPE), according to Child Find, IDEA, NCLB, RULA, and ADA regulations.
Our goal is to meet your child’s unique needs to prepare him/her for a happy, productive, independent life, to the greatest degree possible.
We understand that every child and situation is unique. We are here to support families of children with disabilities in our community, especially during times of uncertainty.
To successfully walk the IEP system, the secret is knowledge. We will train you to walk you through the step-by-step process, so you can have control of the outcomes.
Contact us today even if your IEP meeting is tomorrow. Remember...
You Know Your Child 100%!
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At Control My IEP we believe in the importance of providing an effective and complete line of services to our clients, especially during these present times, where time optimization, reduced costs, and quality of services are as important as the outcomes. As a result, we have built a strong network of alliances with some leading companies to support you in effectively completing your legal and non-legal requirements. The following businesses are aligned with Control My IEP 's core values of excellent service and trust.

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How to Contact Us
Hablamos Español
Phone: 949) 326- 6612
Email: controlmyiep@gmail.com
Address:
600 W Santa Ana Blvd, Suite 206, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9 am- 5 pm
Control My IEP is ready to assist you with the preparation of your legal documents. Give us a call at (949) 326-6612 or submit the contact form. ESTAMOS AQUI PARA USTED !
Control My IEP
Disclaimer
Communications between you and Control My IEP are protected by our Privacy Policy but not by the attorney-client privilege or as work product. Controlmyiep.com does not provide legal referrals. If you need to consult with an attorney, please contact the California Courts Self-Help Center near you. We ONLY provide self-help services at your specific direction. We are not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. We cannot provide any kind of advice, explanation, opinion, or recommendation about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, or selection of forms, or strategies. Your access to the website is subject to our Terms of Use.
Disclaimer: Control My IEP is not a law firm and is not and will not act as your attorney. We can only provide self-help services under your specific direction. Control My IEP cannot represent you in court in any matter, select legal forms, or give legal advice. Services are provided at your request and are not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. If you need to consult with an attorney, please contact the California Courts Self-Help Center near you.