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Child Find: The School's Duty to Evaluate

Does a school need a diagnosis before evaluating a student? No.

This guide explains IDEA's Child Find requirements, including when schools may have a duty to evaluate, common warning signs, and why delays can matter. Includes practical examples, legal citations, and more!

A law-backed framework for IEP service time

IEP minutes aren’t based on what’s typical—they’re based on what your child actually needs to make progress.

This guide breaks down:

• Why “support as needed” isn’t legally sufficient

• How minutes, frequency, and intensity work together

• What to look for when services aren’t working

• What to say to push back on default service levels

Built around a simple formula:

👉 Minutes = skill demands × child needs × frequency × intensity → adjusted by data

If minutes are the backbone of the IEP… this is how you get them right.

504 plans often use familiar language from special education, but the legal framework behind them is not the same. Inside this guide, I walk through how eligibility is determined, what substantially limiting a major life activity means, and how schools provide accommodations under Section 504.

When behavior impacts learning, IEP teams are expected to look deeper than surface-level interventions. This guide walks through what strong, legally sound behavior planning looks like so conversations stay focused on function, consistency, and meaningful progress.

Accommodations aren’t shortcuts, they’re individualized supports that allow students to access learning and make meaningful progress alongside peers. This guide explains how IDEA defines accommodations, how they differ from modifications, and why supports must be tied to data and educational impact.

The annual review is where the story of the IEP actually comes together. Inside this guide, I break down how measurable goals, parent input, reevaluation results, and anticipated needs shape revisions for the upcoming year.

Auditory Processing Disorder can raise complicated eligibility questions because it doesn’t always fit neatly into one IDEA category. This guide walks through how courts have looked at APD, and why eligibility decisions often depend on how the disability actually shows up in the classroom.

Placement decisions shape how an IEP works day to day, which is why IDEA treats them differently than routine school changes. This guide gives you the legal lens to recognize those moments without turning the meeting into a battle.

Compensatory education isn’t a service written into an IEP, it’s a legal remedy when a student has been denied a free appropriate public education. This guide explains how courts look at lost services, what equitable remedies can look like, and how teams can approach solutions without turning collaboration into conflict.

Discipline under IDEA follows a different legal framework than general school discipline, especially when removals start affecting placement or services. This guide explains manifestation determinations, interim placements, and how procedural safeguards protect students during disciplinary decisions.

Down syndrome conversations in IEP meetings often come with assumptions — but IDEA requires decisions based on individual need, not diagnosis alone. This guide explains how courts have analyzed placement, predetermination, and Least Restrictive Environment so teams stay focused on the child rather than labels.

Reading struggles don’t always fit neatly into one category, which can make dyslexia discussions confusing for IEP teams. Inside this guide, I break down how evaluation, instruction, and legal standards intersect so decisions stay focused on access to learning (not just terminology)!

Understanding your child’s educational records is one of the strongest ways to participate meaningfully in the IEP process. This guide walks through what you can request, how access works under IDEA and FERPA, and why records matter long before the meeting starts.

An evaluation doesn’t end with a category, it ends with a question: does the student need specially designed instruction? This guide breaks down each category of eligibility so you can understand how IDEA frames eligibility, resulting in conversations grounded in impact, process, and meaningful participation.

ESY isn’t a reward or a program — it’s a support designed to prevent loss of meaningful progress. This guide helps you understand how IEP teams evaluate need (including taking you through the multi-factor analysis), avoid overly restrictive standards, and keep the focus on maintaining access to education.

Have you wondered about having your child participate in school extra-curricular activities, but aren’t sure what is available to your child? This self-study guide teaches parents and caretakers everything they need to know about the standard for extra-curricular activity accommodations, how to get your child into extra-curricular activities and how to get the support you are entitled to from the school through the process.

If eating safely affects whether a student can fully participate in their school day, it may fall within the IEP (not outside of it). This guide walks through the legal reasoning behind feeding and swallowing therapy so conversations stay grounded in IDEA and focused on access.

Behavior conversations often focus on consequences, but IDEA expects teams to look at function, consistency, and educational impact. Inside this guide, I walk through when FBAs are warranted, how courts analyze behavior planning, and what meaningful intervention looks like in practice.

Understanding an IEP starts with understanding the goals and how progress is actually measured. This worksheet helps you break down each goal, track the data behind it, and see whether the team has enough information to determine real progress.

IEP Reviews give parents & caretakers an opportunity to formally meet with their child’s teachers & support staff to review and modify their child’s IEP. While most parents recognize that IEP reviews take place on an annual basis, many parents do not utilize the opportunity to have an IEP review as many times a year as you need! This IEP Review self-study guide teaches parents & caretakers step by step how to request an IEP review, how to bring up issues in an IEP review meeting & fully resolve them, as well as how to advocate for changes to or additions to their child’s IEP. If your child’s IEP needs revising, or you just want to check on their progress in a more formal setting, IEP Review meetings are the solution!

An Independent Educational Evaluation isn’t about conflict, it’s about clarity when questions remain after a district evaluation. This guide helps you understand how IEEs work, when they may be funded, and how they can reshape IEP conversations moving forward.

An IQ score is a data point, not a verdict. This guide helps you understand how courts and IDEA look at cognitive testing so conversations around eligibility stay thoughtful, individualized, and grounded in the law.

This case law summary reviews Least Restrictive Environment law- the law itself, the cases where Courts have determined how to tell if a child is in the least restrictive environment, & a breakdown of the Rachel H. test- the four part test Courts use when considering Least Restrictive Environment. This one page summary breaks down what you need to know in an easy-to-read format so that you can refer to these important factors when considering a child’s placement.

If a skill affects safety, participation, or independence at school, it’s not just a “home issue.” This guide helps you understand how IDEA treats functional needs and when occupational therapy becomes part of a legally sound IEP.

The question isn’t simply “Does this student need an aide?”, it’s whether individualized supports allow meaningful access to general education. This guide helps you understand how one-on-one support fits into LRE, implementation, and the broader legal framework of IDEA.

Aides and paraprofessionals are often part of daily classroom support, yet their role is frequently misunderstood. Inside this guide, I walk through how teams determine when para support is appropriate, how independence is considered, and what meaningful supervision actually looks like in practice.

Strong parent input helps IEP teams understand a child beyond test scores and data sheets. Inside this guide, I focus on how to organize concerns, provide input ahead of meetings, and ensure parent voices shape decision-making in a thoughtful, collaborative way.

Did you know that parents are an integral part of the IEP team? Their influence & input is a key component of a successful IEP. Learn more about parental participation here!

PE conversations often get overlooked in IEP meetings, even though federal regulations require access and thoughtful planning. Inside this guide, I walk through how specially designed instruction, adapted PE, and therapy services intersect within IDEA.

Predetermination happens when decisions are made before the IEP team truly considers the child’s individual needs or parent input. This guide explains how courts identify predetermination, what it can sound like in meetings, and how meaningful participation protects the integrity of the IEP process.

Prior Written Notice is one of the most powerful (and most misunderstood) protections in special education. This guide explains when schools must document proposals or refusals, what PWN should actually include, and how it supports meaningful parent participation in the IEP process.

When speech services are delegated, the question isn’t just who is in the room, it’s whether IDEA’s qualified personnel standard is still being met. This guide helps you understand how assistants fit into the legal framework without turning staffing conversations into conflict.

Being short-staffed doesn’t change the legal standard for delivering special education. This guide helps you understand when substitute coverage is simply operational, and when it starts to raise real implementation concerns.

This best bang for your buck dispute resolution includes a how to guide & a form for filing your own complaint!

Transportation is more than a bus route, it’s a service designed to support access, participation, and future independence. This guide helps you understand how IDEA approaches transportation decisions so conversations stay focused on individual need rather than convenience.

wice-exceptional students can be both gifted and disabled, and strong grades don’t eliminate the right to special education under IDEA. This guide explains how eligibility decisions work when strengths and needs exist side by side, and why individualized analysis matters more than appearances on paper.