Ganado Unified School District #20

1. Ganado Unified School District #20 Child Find Procedures Screening-Identification-Referral (Click mouse to advance slides)

2. Child Find Definition • The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997 (IDEA ’97) Section 612 (a) (3) Child Find.- (A) In General.-All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated and a practical method is developed and implemented to determine which children with disabilities are currently receiving needed special education and related services.

3. G.U.S.D. Child Find Activities • For children ages birth to 3 years old, the GUSD works collaboratively with both the Arizona Early Intervention Program and Navajo Nation Growing In Beauty Program to identify those children who may need specialized and related services. • For children ages 3 to 5 years, GUSD conducts routine preschool screenings – “Child Find” to identify those children who may require further evaluations to determine if they require specialized and/or related services. • For children/students ages 5 to 21 years, GUSD utilizes the 45-Day Screening and Child Study Teams a.k.a. Teachers Helping Other Teachers (THOT) to identify those children who may require comprehensive evaluation to determine if they may require specialized and/or related services.

4. GUSD Child Find Process: Ages 5-21 • 45 - Day Screening. All students new to the District or those who lack an appropriate record of screening regarding their educational history must have a completed 45-Day Screening instrument within 45 days after enrollment. Screenings that indicate significant concern are forwarded to the school’s Child Study Team or THOT team for further attention and review. • Teacher/Parent/Administrator Referrals to THOT. A parent, teacher, or administrator can refer a student to a GUSD Child Study Team, which may be referred to as Teachers Helping Other Teachers (T.H.O.T.), for screening. The THOT team may ultimately recommend pre-referral interventions. • Pre-Referral Interventions. The THOT team will assist with developing and implementing pre-referral interventions (instructional, behavioral, health, family, etc.) to address the areas of concern. If the student is still experiencing learning difficulties after the various interventions are exhausted, one option is to have a referral meeting with Special Education team for comprehensive evaluation, especially if a disability is suspected. • Special Education Referral Meeting. The THOT team conducts an official referral meeting with Special Education team for possible evaluations in the areas of suspected disabilities. Special Education team will then initiates the multi-disciplinary evaluation team (MET) process based on data collected.

5. G.U.S.D. Contacts • Ganado Unified School District Special Education Office Clarina Arviso-Boyd, Special Education Coordinator ( clarina.boyd@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755.1107 Louise Gilmore, Secretary (louise.gilmore@ganado.k12.az.us) 928-755.1102 • Pre-School Candice Yazzie, Early Childhood Specialist ( candice.yazzie@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755.1103 • Ganado Primary School CST/THOT Terrell Piechowski, Counselor ( terrell.piechowski@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755.1023 • Ganado Intermediate School CST/THOT Phil Donk, Counselor ( phil.donk@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755.1123 • Ganado Middle School CST/THOT Teresa Gorman, Mid School Teacher ( teresa.gorman@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755.1244 • Ganado High School CST/THOT Jessica Huff, Assistant Principal ( jessica.huff@ganado.k12.az.us ) 928.755-1407

6. More InfoAdditional information regarding Special Education Policies and Procedures, Child Find Process, Departmental Mission statement and current staff can be accessed at the GUSD Website in the Schools & Offices under Special Education Services: www.ganado.k12.az.us