As the school year comes to a close, new students are preparing to enter school, but for some they may need a little more help than others.

Identifying a child’s needs as early as possible is key in having that child succeed academically and socially, according to multiple directors of special services in the public schools around the Golden Triangle.

Any child in the country from birth to age 21 is eligible for special services within a school district based on learning delays or disabilities they may have. In Mississippi, the special services are offered through a program called “Child Find.” Public school districts are required to advertise those services annually in an effort to identify as many in need as possible.

In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) replaced the former Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. IDEA addresses the individual rather than the disability, but through both, special services must be offered through the child’s public school district.

Child Find has multiple steps to ensure a child gets the help they need, and the first step is a referral. According to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s student support services director Julie Jones, anyone familiar with a child can refer call them district if they notice delays in learning.

“Referrals can come from parents, pediatricians, grandparents, teachers or anyone familiar with that child,” Jones said. “A majority of referrals in the SOCSD come from parents and educators, and in a normal school year, not during COVID-19, we usually get around 150 referrals.”

For some new parents, recognizing a learning delay can be more difficult because they don’t have other children to compare growth milestones with. Tiffany Lanier, special education director for the Columbus Municipal School District, said it is important to pay attention to where a child is developmentally.

“If anyone notices that a child isn’t responding the way they should, they should give us a call,” Lanier said. “Around 27 months, people really begin to notice what a child’s speech is like — if there’s a stutter, difficulty speaking, or if the child is completely non-verbal. Those around the child should take note of those milestones not being reached. It’s easier for parents with multiple children, but if a new parent has a gut feeling about their child, we encourage them to reach out to us.”

After a child is referred, the school district will reach out to the family for a meeting about moving forward with a multidisciplinary evaluation. Once that evaluation is complete a summary will be given to the child’s caregivers and from there a meeting will be held to determine what special services the child may need, if any.

For students enrolled in a private school or who are homeschooled, the Child Find program will still help the child and their family. Jones said for students in private school, the funding comes from a different source than public school special services that is already set aside in the district for those students.

“As long as they are above five years old, we will provide services for them,” Jones said. “Those under five will begin with early intervention. For students in private school, if they are under five, they begin in county of residence. If they are over five, they begin in county of (school) attendance.”

Each district has their own Child Find program in Mississippi. If a child is in need of services, reach out to the special education department in that district to have a child evaluated.

Rhonda Locke, director of special services for the Lowndes County School District, said the best thing to do is to catch a child early.

“If we get a child who has learning delays in early, we can begin helping them early and their transition into grade school will be much easier,” Locke said.

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