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NEISEC Child Find Notice


 

This notice contains the Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NEISEC) procedures for special education child find.

 

 Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative Child Find Assurances:

  1.  Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative takes the responsibility of establishing, maintaining, and implementing written procedures that ensure the location, identification, and evaluation of all students three (3) years of age, but less than twenty-two (22) years of age, who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of severity of their disabilities including children who:

    1. Have legal settlement within the jurisdiction of the Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative catchment area

    2. Attend a nonpublic school, are served by an agency, or live in an institution within the  Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative catchment area.

    3. Are homeless

    4. Are wards of the state of Indiana

    5. Are highly mobile, including migrants 

    6. Are suspected of being students with disabilities in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade

 

 Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative Child Find Activities:

  1. Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative provides contact information to the local newspaper and/or other media outlets stating where to call to refer a student for an evaluation.

  2. Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative provides contact information via the NEISEC website and social media platforms for referring a student for an evaluation.

  3. Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative will collaborate with outside agencies and parents regarding referrals.

  4. Provide a handout to partnering local agencies on how to refer a student for an evaluation, including school districts, community preschools, childcare centers, and the Indiana Department of Child Services located in DeKalb, Noble. LaGrange and Steuben Counties.

 

NEISEC Child Find, Referral for Process for Special Education Services

A student’s parent or school personnel working with the student may make a referral or request for an educational evaluation. If the parent makes the request, the request must be made verbally or in writing to licensed personnel, such as a teacher, principal, or special education director. It is always a good idea for the parent to put the request in writing. Within 10 school days after the parent requests an educational evaluation, the school must provide the parent with written notice responding to the request, as well as a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards (NOPS). If the school makes the referral for the evaluation, the school must provide the parent with written notice requesting consent to evaluate. 

 

The Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative is an additional point of contact. Parents and school staff may reach out to the Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative for assistance in initiating special education by contacting:

Executive Director, Wendy Lane-Ginder, wginder@neisec.com 260-347-5236, 260.242.7078

DeKalb County Director, Rachel Burley, rburley@neisec.com, 260.242.8804

LaGrange County Director, Jeff Radel, jradel@neisec.com, 260.349.8122

Noble County Director, Joel Luckey, jluckey@neisec.com, 260.343.1117

Steuben County Director, Katie Yoder, kyoder@neisec.com, 260.499.1772

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