Hudson School District
Child Find Policy

Hudson School District ensures that a process of identifying, locating and evaluating all children with disabilities, including children attending private schools, and who reside within the District’s jurisdiction, will be developed and implemented in accordance with NH Rules for the Education of Children with Disabilities. (Ed 1103, July 1, 2001)

A Child Find Program has been developed for the Hudson School District, that ensures all potentially disabled children, including those attending private schools, highly mobile children with disabilities (such as migrant and homeless children) and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located and evaluated. Children who are suspected of being a child with a disability are referred to the Special Education Pupil/Evaluation Team.

The Child Find Program includes the following guidelines.

1. Children ages 0-6 may participate in the District’s Child Check screenings conducted annually in the spring. This screening is designed to encourage parents, community day care providers, physicians and the public to be aware of the District’s Special Education Programs, who to contact and how to contact them for children suspected of having a disability.
2. Transitions from Early Intervention agencies into the District’s programs begin at age 2.5 for children already suspected of having a disability. These children are referred to the Pre-School IEP team for review, identification, evaluation and classification.
3. Parents, social service agencies, physicians, and other public agencies are notified annually through public service announcements, brochures and school newsletters of the District’s Child Find Policy.
4. Pre-school Screenings for all children transitioning from private kindergartens to Public school for grade one. The screenings includes a process where trained professionals are able to identify potential academic, vision, hearing, medical or language concerns. Children at-risk will be referred for a more detailed screening, referral to the District’s IEP team or for an annual follow-up screening.
5. Students may be referred to the schools IEP Team for the following reasons:
   • Failing to pass a hearing or vision screening
   • Unsatisfactory performance on a group achievement assessment or other performance measures
   • Receiving multiple academic or behavioral warnings
   • Repeatedly failing one or more subjects
   • Referral from outside agencies, parents, teachers who suspect a child may have a disability
   • Children who may have been referred to the Child Assistance Team but may require further intervention
   • Private Schools within the District’s jurisdiction are notified of the Child Find Policy and referral procedures
   • All private school children with disabilities, including religious-school children, residing within the jurisdiction of the District, shall be located, identified, and evaluated.
   • The activities to carry out this responsibility will be in accordance with responsibilities comparable to activities undertaken for children attending public schools.
   • The District will annually contact representatives of private schools, to determine how to undertake these activities.