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Students can be directly referred for evaluation through the Babies Can’t Wait (Birth to Three) transition process and by parent referral. Your child’s preschool or childcare teacher or pediatrician may also recommend an assessment, but it is the parent’s responsibility to complete the referral and registration process. The Registration Process can be found at this link. Once the completed registration packet and Request for Child Find Assistance have been received, you will be contacted by Mardy Hendon, Preschool Administrative Assistant, to schedule the comprehensive evaluation.

In Georgia, children suspected of having a disability, including those who are ages 3-5 must receive a
comprehensive evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and related services.

Areas of need are identified through the evaluation process. The IEP team, which includes parent input, will propose goals and objectives and instructional accommodation to address identified areas of need. The IEP team is required to provide services to the maximum extent appropriate in the Least Restrictive Environment with access to typically developing language and social skills. Preschool services can range along a continuum that considers services within the home, a weekly, hour-long co-taught group to address social and language deficits (BLAST), consultation support, collaborative support within the general education setting, or half-and full-day participation in special needs preschool. Children may also qualify for weekly speech and language therapy or other related services which could be delivered in various locations. The IEP team must carefully consider each option and make an offer of FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education) for the student.

Children are eligible for kindergarten when they reach 5 years of age by September 1st. The kindergarten classroom provides the least restrictive or most natural environment for the child and allows him or her to be with same age peers. The year before the child’s 5th birthday, the IEP Team should meet to discuss the child’s development and to determine how the child can be part of the kindergarten classroom. The kindergarten teacher should be invited to these meetings so that he or she can get to know the child and be ready for the child to be a part of the kindergarten program.

Once the child becomes age-eligible for kindergarten, the child’s services will be determined based on the continuum of services offered within the kindergarten setting, as funding for a kindergarten-age-eligible student is captured through the federally funded Full-time Equivalent (FTE) formula. An exception to this is if the child’s IEP team determines that retention in preschool is a necessary intervention based on the unique needs of the child. An important consideration in this decision is how the retention intervention could potentially alter kindergarten readiness. Children who are retained in preschool per parent choice, despite the IEP team’s decision for kindergarten placement, will not receive special education services under the provisionof an Individualized Education Plan for the retained school year. They may qualify to receive access to proportionate share activities, if they refuse FAPE offered by the LEA and they attend a school that meets private elementary school criteria., as determined by local district annual consultation process

The IEP represents a comprehensive plan to address all deficits and objectives identified for your child. The final recommendations are based on what is considered necessary in order for your child to receive a Free and Appropriate Education to meet goals and objectives. Therefore, parents may not elect to accept part of the plan or recommended services.

Once registration is complete, the Preschool Department will receive a notification from Registration. Ms. Hendon will be reaching out within two weeks of completed registration. Please reach out to Ms. Hendon at MHendon@forsyth.k12.ga.us if you have not heard from anyone within two weeks. Referrals are processed in the order received and we book the closest available date for the evaluation. Please know that early Fall and Spring are heavy referral times so it may be a few weeks before the testing appointment.

Significant Developmental Delay (SDD) refers to a delay in a child’s development in adaptive behavior, cognition, physical development, communication, or social/emotional development to the extent that, if not provided with special intervention, the delay may adversely affect a child’s educational performance in age-appropriate activities. SDD eligibility may not be used to describe children who are experiencing a slight or temporary lag in one or more areas of development, or a delay which is primarily the result of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage or lack of experience in age-appropriate activities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to locate, identify, and evaluate young children with suspected disabilities or developmental delays. These delays may occur in the areas of self-help/adaptive behavior, cognitive development, communication, physical development, and/or social-emotional development.

At the time of your child’s evaluation, you will be asked to sign a Consent to Evaluate which will start the 60-day timeline. The evaluation team will informally and formally assess all areas related to any suspected disability. Data is collected during the 60-day timeline. Within the 60-day timeline, the parent, regular education teacher (if applicable), special education early childhood provider and Local Education Agency (LEA) will participate in the eligibility determination and IEP development if student is found eligible

Forsyth County School System does not operate Georgia Lottery Pre-k programs within the district. For
information on where to find GA Pre-k locations, click .

Your child will be evaluated using a team approach which is often less intimidating to the child. We prefer to have only one parent in attendance with the child to reduce distractions. We reserve the right to ask parents to wait outside if parent attempts to interfere with the evaluation process. Interference or coaching a child impairs the validity of the assessment. Your evaluation team may consist of a Diagnostician or School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist or other service providers. Your child may have their hearing checked by the ºÚÁÏÍøÕ¾ audiologist and vision checked using the SPOT vision screener.