Referral Procedures

Evaluations begin with a referral to the Child Study Team through a variety of procedures.

• School-based committees refer children to the Child Study Team after they have documentation that interventions and modifications within the general education programs have not been effective.
  
  Each building within the Morris School District has a committee that meets regularly to discuss students who do not appear to be learning at an appropriate rate or when social and emotional concerns are interfering with the school performance. The building level groups are designated as Intervention Referral Teams (IRT) or Core Teams. A staff member or administrator with concerns about a student seeks assistance through the building committee by making a formal request. Depending upon the circumstances, the committee then develops a plan with specific interventions and monitors outcomes. When interventions are not effective, the IRT or Core Team may refer the student to the Child Study Team.
  
  
• A parent, adult pupil, school staff member, or agency concerned with the welfare of students may make direct referrals to the Child Study Team. Under circumstances of an emergent, serious nature, agencies, administrators, or staff may also refer directly to the Child Study Team. If an evaluation is warranted without prior interventions, permission for testing will be requested from the parent.
  
  
• When students between three and five years old (preschoolers) are experiencing difficulty with developmental tasks, they may be eligible for Preschool Disability services. Most referrals for this age group come from Early Intervention Programs (EIPs), for children whose disabilities were manifest prior to the age of three, and from the staff in early childhood programs, such as nursery schools or day care centers that are not designed for children with disabilities. Other sources include parents, agencies and health care providers.