Special Education
The Cypress School District delivers special education services in a variety of settings to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. Our goal is to provide a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Specialized academic instruction is provided for students with disabilities in preschool through sixth grade.
Identification
Students are identified for special education in one or more of 13 eligibility categories, and California Education Code defines how students are determined eligible within each category. Services and supports are determined for each student through the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process, which includes parents, teachers, administrators, and special education staff.
It is the district’s responsibility to find students who are in need of special education services. This requirement is known as Child Find. The process for finding students who may be eligible for services usually occurs through parent referral or the Student Study Team (SST) process. An individual teacher cannot refer a student for assessment for special education services outside of the SST process.
For children three years of age or younger, referrals may also be made by outside agencies. Given the legal requirement that a student shall be referred for special education instruction and services only after the resources of the regular education program have been considered and, where appropriate, utilized, the SST process is a critical step in determining appropriate referrals for formal assessment.
Child Find
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a child find mandate which requires school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities to determine the need for special education or other related services. Children identified through the child find process must still be assessed to confirm eligibility for services.
If you are concerned about your child’s development or have questions about referring a child for special education services, please call (714) 220-6921 or submit the online Notification of Child Find form.
More information on Child Find procedures, including a brochure developed by the Greater Anaheim Special Education Local Education Plan Area (Greater Anaheim SELPA), can be found on their website.