What is Child Find?
Every SELPA and school district is required to have procedures in place to help locate students who may need special education services. Please contact either the SELPA office or your local school district if you have questions about referring a child for special education services.
If you are concerned about your child's development, please contact your local school district. The Greater Anaheim SELPA Child Find Brochure (at the bottom of this page) has phone to every school district office.
The Greater Anaheim SELPA and its member districts actively and systematically seek out all individuals with exceptional needs, ages birth through 21, including infants and preschoolers and children not enrolled in public school programs that reside in the geographic area or are under the jurisdiction of the special education local plan area.
Each year the Orange County Department of Education publishes a notice in the Orange County Register informing parents of their right to refer their child to their local school district to determine eligibility for special education services.
Each district within the Anaheim SELPA as part of its annual notification of parental rights and responsibilities provides information regarding a parent's right to request an educational assessment to determine eligibility for special education.
The local site administrator or his/her designee has the responsibility at the local school level for the coordination of the Child Find activities. Procedures are established at each school for informing the community on a continual basis of the program alternatives available for disabled children within the Greater Anaheim SELPA. The Greater Anaheim SELPA works in collaboration with other public agencies within Orange County to assure that local private schools, hospitals, pre-schools, Regional Center, Mental Health Agency, Head Start, and California Children's Services have been supplied with special education public information brochures to help parents, teachers, and the community in general become aware of the many special education opportunities that are available through the SELPA resources. Cable TV, Public Access TV, and local radio can also be used for public service announcements.
Child Find posters, in a variety of languages, describing the availability of services to disabled children and youth are available to each school site within the SELPA.
Child Find efforts are also carried out through the Student Study Team process.
Child Find information is also available on the Greater Anaheim SELPA website: www.gaselpa.org.
Who can help me if I'm worried about my child's education?
Be sure to first address your concerns at your child's school or that school's district office. The usual process is to discuss your child's educational progress with his or her regular and special education teachers, then with the principal and/or special education coordinator if necessary. If you continue to have concerns, one of SELPA's Program Specialists can help you explore further solutions.
My child attends a private school. Is my child entitled to special education services?
The answer is "Maybe". Every school district in Greater Anaheim has the responsibility to "find" and offer an assessment for every child suspected of having a disability. The Greater Anaheim SELPA Policy on the Provision of Special Education Services in a Private School can provide you detailed information.