Referral Process & Child Study Team Services
Referral Process for Child Study Team Evaluation
What is a Referral?
A referral is a written request for an evaluation that is given to the school district when a child is suspected of having a disability that might need special education services. In most cases, the student should first be referred to the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) Team. If as a result of the interventions recommended by the team, the student continues to experience difficulties in the general education classroom, the I&RS team will determine the next court of action, which could include amending the action plan, determining 504 eligibility, or referring the student to the Child Study Team for evaluation.
How is a student referred for a Child Study Team evaluation?
If you believe that your child may have a disability, you may refer your child for an evaluation by submitting a written request to the Director of Special Education, Sara McGowan, at [email protected]
Please make sure to include the following in your referral letter:
- Your name
- Your child's name
- Your child's school and grade level (if applicable)
- Your contact information
- Reason for referral and/or concerns
What is the procedure after the referral is made?
Once the referral is received, the Child Study Team has twenty (20) calendar days, excluding school holidays, to schedule an Initial Identification Meeting. The expected school staff to attend this meeting would include a social worker, psychologist, learning disabilities teacher-consultant, classroom teacher, and speech & language therapist, and the parent/guardian.
Are students automatically evaluated if the request is made?
No. Once a request for a Child Study Team evaluation is made, an Initial Identification Meeting will be scheduled. At that meeting, it will be determined if evaluations are warranted and if so an evaluation plan is developed.
If the team determines that evaluations are not warranted, they may refer the student to the school's I&RS team or refer the student to the 504 coordinator.
What is the procedure if the student is going to be evaluated?
Once it is determined that evaluates are necessary, an initial evaluation plan is developed and the parent/guardian must provide written consent. The Child Study Team then has ninety (90) days to complete all necessary evaluations. Within the ninety (90) days, an eligibility meeting is scheduled where the evaluations are discussed and it is determined if the student is eligible for special education and/or related services.
Child Study Team Services
The Child Study Team (CST) is a group of professionals who provide consultative and evaluative services to teachers and parents in regard to students who are experiencing school related difficulties
Who are the members of the Child Study Team?
The members of the Child Study Team, as determined by the New Jersey Department of Education, are a school social worker, a school psychologist, and a learning disabilities teacher-consultant.
What are the responsibilities of the School Social Worker?
The social worker generally reviews the student's family background and his/her development. The social worker also provides individual counseling and social skills groups. Our social worker provides support for parents and staff for emotional, behavioral, and social needs of students.
What are the responsibilities of the School Psychologist?
The psychologist evaluates the student's emotional, social, and intellectual functioning. In addition, the psychologist also provides individual counseling and social skills groups.
What are the responsibilities of the Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDTC)?
The LDTC focuses on the student's academic profile, as well as recommending specific teaching methods/strategies that may benefit a student.
Speech and Language Services
The development of age-appropriate speech and language skills are essential to the learning process and to a student's social, emotional, and academic growth. Students must be able to comprehend language, express their thoughts and opinions, interact effectively and efficiently with peers and adults, and produce speech which others can easily understand.
Milltown Public Schools provides services to those who demonstrate a need to improve their speech and language skills in order to achieve academic success.
Students can be referred for speech and language services by their parents or by their teacher(s) if they are concerned about a student's speech and language proficiency as a part of the CST evaluation or in isolation. The goal of these services is to help students develop the speech and language skills necessary for positive interpersonal relationships and academic success.
Occupational and Physical Therapy
Both occupational and physical therapy are related services designed to help students within a school setting who are showing an educational related difficulty. The goal of these services is to assist a student to function well within the school setting.
Occupational Therapy uses purposeful activity to facilitate a student's active participation in the areas of self-care, academic, and/or vocational pursuits, as well as play and leisure activities.
Physical Therapy is designed to help students access their school environment and participate safely and to the best of their ability. Physical therapists address functional limitations, such as difficulties with mobility, transitions or gross motor skills, as well as interventions that address impairments that contribute to functional limitations such as posture, balance, strength, and coordination.
Both services are provided to our students through a contracted service provided.