Child Find: Evaluations in Special Education

The Winooski School District follows the expectations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to locate, identify and evaluate children and students who have disabilities. 

WSD does this in a number of ways including making referrals for evaluation through completing screenings, completing data analysis activities, and considering student performance across all schools.

We also accept referrals from a number of different community health partners, preschools, pediatricians, mental health providers, family members, and other individuals who may believe they are aware of a child with a disability who has yet to be identified. 

Children Birth-3 Years Old: Chittenden County school districts and other providers and partners refer young children who are showing signs of concerns to Northwestern Counseling & Support Services . Children’s Integrated Services partners in Chittenden County include:  Child Care Resource, Howard Center, Lund Family Center, School districts, Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Family Network, and Visiting Nurses. 

For more information and referrals to any of the services above for children birth to 3 years old, please contact the Northwestern Counseling & Support Services at 802-782-6768 

Prekindergarten: WSD provides free screenings and evaluations for children through our early childhood special educators where a referral is received and evaluation is determined to be needed.  We seek and receive referrals from a number of referral sources including families, pediatricians, private prekindergarten providers, our own prekindergarten classroom teachers, and others who come into contact with prekindergarten children. WSD also reviews data submitted by PreK providers under act 166 as we consider children in need of evaluation. 

Kindergarten-Age 22: All EST teams within our schools review data and consider the needs of students for purposes of referral for both 504 and Special Education evaluations.  Principal discussions with teachers, parent teacher conferences, and teacher team meetings are other meeting structures where teachers and others find and identify students where there is a concern of disability. There is a clear process in place across our schools to consider referrals from parents and other outside sources to ensure each concern is appropriately considered.

Resources: Individuals who have further questions regarding special education or 504 can find parental rights and other resources here:
https://education.vermont.gov/student-support/vermont-special-education/resources-for-families

Contacts

Pre-K to Age 22
Director of Support Services
60 Normand Street
Winooski, VT 05404
(802)383-6085

Birth to Age 3
Northwestern Counseling & Support Services
Phone: 802-782-6768
107 Fisher Pond Road St Albans, VT 05478
Phone: (802)-524-6554
Toll Free in VT: (800)-834-7793
Fax: (802)-524-3894
Website: https://www.ncssinc.org/contact

Child Find Notice

Any individuals from birth through age 21 with disabilities currently residing within the city of Winooski, and who are in need of special education and related services need to be identified, located, and evaluated by the Winooski School District (WSD).

This includes children: not enrolled in school, attending private or independent schools located within the aforementioned city, enrolled in home study programs, suspected of having a disability despite advancing from grade to grade, who are highly mobile (such as migrant children), and who are homeless or in the custody of the state.
Any person with information about any disabled person fitting these descriptions should contact WSD.