Last modified: May 20, 2021

Child Find

Provo City School District is responsible for Child Find identification and evaluation for students suspected of having a disability residing in Provo City. This includes children (birth through 21 years of age) who are in public schools, private schools, are being home schooled, are preschoolers and are in need of an evaluation for possible special education or early intervention services. If your child is having significant difficulty with vision, hearing, speech, behavior, is experiencing slow development typical for his/her age, physical development or learning difficulty, he/she may be a child with a disability that requires specialized instruction through special education.

If you suspect your child may have a disability and may qualify for special education services, contact us at the following based on your child’s age.

•  Age is birth to three years contact the Provo Early Intervention Program at 801-852-4525.
• Age 3 to 4 years contact Sunrise PreSchool at (801) 374-4915. 
• Age 5 to 21 contact your neighborhood school or the District Special Ed office at 801-374-4933.

Child Find Process

A process that allows a student to receive a comprehensive evaluation, at no cost, to see If the student is eligible for special education services under  the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Schools do not diagnose a disability. Furthermore, a specific diagnosis (e.g., autism, dyslexia) is not necessary for your child to be considered for services in special education. Instead, a school identifies a category of disability under IDEA through a comprehensive evaluation process and an eligibility team meeting.

After obtaining written consent from parents, the school conducts multiple informal and formal assessments aligned to the student’s learning concerns that involves gathering multiple data (e.g., standardized tests, classroom data, input from education professionals and input from parents). Next, a team of educators with the parent review all data and determine eligibility for special education services. 

In order to qualify for special education services, the following three questions must be yes:

1. Does the student meet one of the 13 disability categories authorized under IDEA?
2. Does the student’s identified disability adversely affect education?
3. Does the student require specially designed instruction?