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Do you have concerns for your child's development?
Coupeville School District provides services to assist in evaluating and identifying students ages birth to 21 with suspected disabilities and who reside within our boundaries.
Child Find
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What is a Child Find Screening?
Screening is a free check of your child’s development including:- Large muscle development
- Hand-eye coordination (fine motor skills)
- Communication
- Concepts
- Personal-social skills
- Self-help skills
What is the purpose of a Child Find Screening?
The purpose of the screening is to identify any factors that may interfere with your child’s learning, growth, and development. The screening is also provided to help parents identify their child’s strengths and weaknesses and provide home suggestions.
What happens during a Child Find Screening?
During the screening, your child may stack small blocks, cut with scissors, draw, count, name colors, jump, and have fun! Following the screening, a trained professional will talk with you about the results of the screening. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about your child’s development. You may be given home suggestions, referred on for further testing, or be scheduled to have skills rechecked at a later date. The screening process usually takes about 45 minutes.
Who is eligible to be screened?
Any child, birth to 21, whose family or caregivers would like more information about their child’s development. All school districts within Washington State have Child Find screenings available. If your family
is living in a temporary situation, you may contact the district where you are staying to attend a screening.
Ages Birth to Three
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If you suspect delays and your child is younger than 2 years 10 months, contact Steps (formerly Toddler Learning Center) for infants and toddlers. Phone number: 360-679-1039
Ages Three to Five
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Your child is eligible for a FREE developmental screening if:
- Ages 2 years, 10 months to 5 years old (after August 31)
- Not enrolled in Coupeville School District
- Reside within CSD boundaries
Screening does not guarantee placement into a preschool program.
If you are interested in a Child Find screening for your three-to-five-year-old child, please contact our Special Services department by reaching out to Sherry Bonacci at sbonacci@coupeville.k12.wa.us or (360)678-2420.
School-aged Child
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Each school has a Child Find/referral team for preschool through twelfth grade. If your school-aged child is already enrolled in the Coupeville School District or resides within CSD boundaries and you have concerns for your child’s development, contact your child's teacher to initiate a referral as part of the Child Find process. If you have a home-schooled student, please contact our Special Services department by reaching out to Sherry Bonacci at sbonacci@coupeville.k12.wa.us or (360)678-2420.
Child Find Screening FAQ's
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When will I find out the results of my child’s screening?
You will receive the results of your child’s screening within a week.
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What does a screening appointment look like?
Families rotate between 3-4 screening stations.
Development Area Who provides this assessment? Speech/Language Speech-Language Pathologist Learning Special Education Teacher Fine Motor skills Occupational Therapist Gross Motor skills Physical Therapist Self-help and Social/Behavior School Psychologist -
Is there paperwork I need to complete prior to my appointment?
You will receive a packet of paperwork via US Mail, prior to your child’s appointment. Paperwork to complete and bring with you to your appointment includes:
- Child Find consent form
- Developmental history form
If you are not able to complete these, we are happy to support you at your appointment.
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How long does a screening appointment last?
Screening appointments last approximately 60 minutes.
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If English is not my primary language, do I need to bring an interpreter?
We will arrange to have an interpreter present at your screening appointment.
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My child’s preschool/childcare provider has concerns about my child but I do not have concerns. Should I have my child screened?
Yes! Children can show different behaviors and skills at home compared to a preschool or childcare setting. Your care provider may have insights into your child’s development that could impact their participation in a school-based program.
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Who should attend the screening appointment?
In order to give your child our undivided attention, we ask that you not bring other children to the Child Find appointment. A parent or guardian should be in attendance.
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Where does screening take place?
In the Coupeville Elementary School preschool classroom.
6 South Main St., Coupeville, WA 98239
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What does typical development look like?
Learn more about age-appropriate developmental milestone guidance on the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families website.
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What developmental areas are screened?
- Speech/Language
- Learning
- Social/Behavioral
- Self-help
- Fine Motor (small motor skills)
- Gross Motor (large motor skills)
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What is the purpose of a screening?
Our screening is a quick look at how your child is developing. We will identify if your child’s development is within age expectations. If your child does not pass our screening, we may recommend a comprehensive evaluation. Our screening is the first step in a special education identification process.
Child Find Evaluation and Placement FAQ's
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How long does the whole process take?
- Screening: within 25 school days of receiving your referral.
- Evaluation: within 35 school days after receiving consent for evaluation.
- Individualized Education Program (IEP): within 30 calendar days after eligibility determination.
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Does my child need to be toilet trained to attend preschool?
We do not require toilet training to participate in our preschool program.
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When do I find out if my child is eligible for special education services?
Our team will meet with you again to share the results of your child’s evaluation and determine eligibility and need for services.
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If English is not my primary language, do I need to bring an interpreter?
We will arrange to have an interpreter present at all evaluation and results appointments.
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How will my child be evaluated?
Children are evaluated using standardized and/or informal assessment measures, parent and teacher (if applicable) rating scales, clinical and preschool/childcare observations.
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What happens after screening?
If our team identifies potential delays, we will schedule a second appointment for an in-depth evaluation to determine if your child is eligible for specially designed instruction or related therapy services.