Referral Process

When a referral is made by an individual other than District personnel (i.e., parent, adult student, or other individuals from other agencies), it is preferable that the individual complete and submit the standard referral form (ED621) to the District, however, it is not required that the individual do so. In these situations, the date of referral is the date that the District received the referral and the District will use a date stamp or similar method to document such date. In cases where the standard referral form is not used to make the referral, a District staff member will complete the standard referral form for the purpose of documenting the referral.

A parent is not required to submit the standard referral form for a referral for an initial evaluation to determine if a child is a child with a disability. The District shall accept as a referral a concern expressed in writing from the parent of the child that such child be referred for an initial evaluation. The District shall accept a referral that uses terms that clearly indicate a concern that such child may be a child with a disability and should be evaluated for special education identification and services.

The date of referral is the date the District first receives the referral from the parent in writing. If the parent does not make the referral using the standard referral form, the District must complete the standard referral form to coincide with the parent’s written referral. If the standard referral form is completed later, the date of referral remains the date that the District first received the referral in writing from the parent. The District has developed the following process for accepting referrals from parents who cannot put their request in writing.

If when speaking to a District staff member, a parent verbally expresses a concern that his or her child may have a disability and need special education services, the staff person will direct the parent to put their concern(s) in writing and then accept that document as a referral. If the parent is unable to put the request in writing, a District staff member will assist the parent in doing so. The date on which the parent expressed the concern to the District will be considered the date of referral even if a standard referral form was not completed and submitted at that time.

If a child is receiving general education interventions and the District receives a referral for an evaluation, the District shall accept the referral and convene a PPT meeting to consider the referral to determine if an evaluation of the child is appropriate. During such time the District shall also continue the general education interventions.

If someone other than the student’s parent makes the referral, the District will provide notice of the referral to the parent no later than five school days after the District receives the referral. The District will use the Parent Notice of Referral to Determine Eligibility for Special Education and Related Services form to notify the parent of the referral and confirm receipt of the referral. The District will also send the Procedural Safeguards Notice, as discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.

After receipt of a referral, the District will schedule an initial PPT meeting at a time and location convenient to the parent, and provide notice of the meeting, using the Notice of PPT Meeting form, to the parent at least five days prior to the date of the meeting unless the parent agrees to waive the five day notice. At the initial PPT meeting, the PPT will review the referral and determine whether the team suspects a disability and if it does, whether additional evaluative data is required in order to make an eligibility determination.

When the District seeks to evaluate a student for the first time and the student is in the custody of the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and not residing with the student’s parent, the District is required to obtain consent from the student’s assigned surrogate parent.

According to state law, the Commissioner of Education (or a designee of the commissioner) will appoint a surrogate parent when a child requires or may require special education and:

1. the parent or guardian of such child cannot be identified
2. the whereabouts of the parent cannot be discovered after reasonable efforts to locate the parent have been made; 
3. the child is a ward of the state; or 
4. the child is an unaccompanied homeless youth as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

This also applies in cases where a child required special education and no longer requires such education, but requires or may require services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The surrogate parent acts as the child’s advocate in the educational decision-making process (i.e., identification, evaluation, placement, hearing, mediation and appeal procedures provided for in federal and state special education law) in place of the child’s parents or guardian. The educational-decision process also includes the evaluation and planning procedures provided for by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which may be available to a child who has been exited from special education.

There are specific circumstances under which it may be necessary to request the appointment of a surrogate parent for a student in order to protect the student’s educational rights. The District is among those individuals or entities who may initiate a request for the CSDE to assign a surrogate parent. 

The Birth to Three System will not accept referrals of children at or over 34 months of age. Those children will be referred directly to the child’s school district or Connecticut 2-1-1 Child Development Infoline. The District will accept the Birth to Three referrals of children who have been referred to the Birth to Three System at 34 months of age. The special education referral process will begin on the date a child has been referred to the District. For children referred by a parent during the summer months, Connecticut state regulations for the initial referral timeline apply (the timeline begins on the first day of school that all students are in attendance that students are in attendance for the regular school year).

In cases of children who are referred by their parents to the District at 34 or 35 months of age, the District recognizes that the goal is to ensure that all children are identified, located and evaluated to ensure that eligible children are provided with FAPE no later than their third birthday. In situations where it may not be possible to provide FAPE by the time the child reaches age three the District shall complete the referral process within 45 school days of the referral. 

If the District opts to conduct a trial placement for diagnostic purposes as part of an initial evaluation, the PPT will develop diagnostic goals and objectives as well as the types and amounts of services needed to conduct the trial placement to more conclusively determine the child’s needs. The diagnostic placement will be completed prior to the child turning age three in order to ensure that an IEP offering FAPE is implemented by the child’s third birthday if the child is found eligible.

For children over the age of 30 months, whose parents have not referred the child to the District, the District will conduct ongoing appropriate Child Find activities to ensure that identification, location and evaluation activities can occur. Child Find activities may include inviting these children and their families to a community screening under Child Find and/or sending a letter or postcard with district contact information.