Child Find
For Pupils Ages 14 - 21
Parents who suspect their child may have disability can get help from their local school districts. The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District adheres to CHILD FIND procedures, a statewide program to locate and provide services for those children, age 14 to 21 years, who may have physical, mental or emotional difficulties. Screening, professional guidance, and an educational program (if needed) are all available free of charge through our schools.
The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is responsible for providing a free and appropriate public education to eligible pupils enrolled in the district through 21 years of age. Individuals and families who know of a child with a suspected or known educational disability should contact the Department of Special Services of Ramapo or Indian Hills High School. Parents of school age children are encouraged to contact the classroom teacher as well as share their concerns with the building principal.
You can send a written request for a written evaluation to the Supervisor of Special Services. In your letter be sure to include the parent's name and child's name, age, address, and suspected or known disability. Upon receipt of your written request the child study team will contact you to schedule a meeting.
Special Education Services
If intervention strategies are deemed ineffective as noted above, and a referral is made to the district Child Study Team, a Planning Meeting takes place to determine if further evaluations are necessary. A Planning Meeting does not imply or guarantee the school will determine formal evaluations are necessary to decide if a special education classification is warranted.
If the district determines that further evaluation is not warranted, more intervention strategies are typically recommended. If the district determines that further diagnostic evaluations are necessary, a testing plan will be established.
Requests for evaluations can be made if a student is suspected of having a disability that substantially impacts the student’s educational performance and mainstream interventions have been attempted and found to be unsuccessful. Requests must be made in writing with a parental signature. The request should be addressed to the Supervisor of Special Services, Ms. Susan Confrancisco at Indian Hills High School, 97 Yawpo Ave. Oakland NJ, 07436, FAX: 201-651-1126, Email: [email protected].
Request for Special Education Referral Form
Process and Timeline for Special Services
Once a request for a Planning Meeting is received, a meeting will be held within twenty days. The participants of the meeting include the parent(s), a classroom teacher, and some or all of the Child Study Team members. The Child Study Team consists of a learning disability teacher-consultant, school psychologist, speech therapist and school social worker. A “temporary” case manager is assigned and an evaluation plan is considered.
If further diagnostic evaluations are determined to be necessary, the evaluation process may take as long as ninety days, involving the collection of data, test results, observations, interviews, and any other pertinent information that was agreed upon in the evaluation plan. The process concludes with an eligibility determination meeting and, if eligibility criteria has been met, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed with the IEP Team Members.
NJ Parents’ Rights in Special Education Handbook https://www.state.nj.us/education/speciale/fmr/RevisedParentalRights(PRISE).pdf
NJ Parents’ Rights in Special Education Handbook - Spanish http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/form/prise/prise_s.pdf
Special Education Programs:
The placement of students in appropriate settings within the least restrictive environment is an integral part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Indian Hills High School offers a full continuum of educational services in the Least Restrictive Environment to students who have been identified as Eligible for Special Education and Related Services. These program options includes: Modifications within the General Education Setting, In-class Supplemental Instruction, In-Class Assistance, Resource Center Support, and Resource Center Subject Replacement, Self-Contained Class Placement, Home Instruction, and Out-of-District Placement.