Child Find
Lynden School District is committed to addressing the unique needs of students with disabilities ages birth through 21 residing within the boundaries of the Lynden School District. This includes children with disabilities enrolled in private and religious schools as well as children who are homeless. Disabilities can be in any one of several areas that ultimately affect a child’s learning, such as the ability to think, to express oneself, to see or hear clearly, to get around, or understand instructions.
If you have a child who you think might have a disability requiring special education instruction or significant accommodations at school, or if you know of such a child, please feel free to call the Lynden School District Special Programs Office, (360) 354.2893.
If your family is living in a temporary situation, you may contact the district where you are currently staying for a screening.
You can access this information through OSPI’s website which has extensive resources available to the public about the process districts use to determine eligibility for any child suspected of having a disability:
http://k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/default.aspx
Child Find Screening – Are you worried about your child’s development?
- Does your child have a medical disorder or birth defect that interferes with their development?
- Does the child seem to have hearing or vision issues?
- Does your child have difficulty communicating with people outside the family?
- Does your child have difficulty keeping up with other children their age?
- Does your child have issues learning when they are experiencing social-emotional difficulties?
Any child, birth to five, whose family or care givers would like more information about their child’s development can contact their local school district to receive a free Child Find Screening.
What happens during a Child Find Screening?
The purpose of a Child Find Screening is to identify issues that may affect your child’s learning, growth, and development and help parents identify their child’s strengths and weaknesses.
During the screening, your child may stack small clocks, cut with scissors, draw, count, name colors, jump and have fun!
After the screening, someone will talk to you about the results and you may be given suggestions, a referral for more testing, or schedule to have skills rechecked later. You will have the change to ask any questions about your child’s development. The whole process takes about 45 minutes!
Where can I go for a screening?
All school districts in Washington State have Child Find Screenings available. For more information and to schedule a screening in our school district, please contact:
Trina Gardner, Special Education Secretary
Lynden School District
205 S. BC Ave, Suite 115
Lynden, WA 98264
Phone: 360-354-2893, ext 3
Email: GardnerTr@lynden.wednet.edu
If your family is living in a temporary situation, you may contact the district where you are currently staying for a screening.
WAC 392-172A-02040 – School districts shall conduct child find activities calculated to reach all students with a suspected disability for the purpose of locating, evaluating, and identifying students who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability.
