If you know a child who may have a hearing and/or vision impairment(s), please call Child Find at:
(800)392-8020 or
(800)543-3098 Birth through 2 (V/TDD) or
(800)548-2546 (TTY Alabama Relay Service).
This hotline is maintained by the Alabama State Department of Education, who will refer you to the appropriate agency in your area to determine if that child is eligible for special services.
The usual process for referral for special education services according to the Individuals with Disabilities Act is as follows:
1) Referral (by parent/guardian or professional)
2) Evaluation screening: A team, including parents/guardians, meets to determine what testing is necessary to determine the child's eligibility for services. If this team determines that the student is not eligible for testing the parents/guardians are notified of ineligibilty. The parents/guardians have the several options if they do not agree with that decision (see Parents' rights forms).
3) Evaluation- The child is evaluated to determine elegibility. These tests may include:
-intelligence
-behavior/adaptive behavior/social skills
-achievement
-vision
-hearing
-medical
4) Eligibiltiy determination: A team, incliding parents/guardians, will meet after all evaluations have been completed to determine if the student is eligible to receive special services.
5) Individualized Education Plan (IEP): Each child who is eligible and receiving special education services has an educational plan that is updated at least annually.The student's teachers. parents/guardians, local education agency representative, the student (in some cases, particulary secondary students), and other designated persons participate in this meeting to plan the student's educational plan.
Students receiving special education services are reevaluated every three years.