Child Find

Child Find is a process designed to locate children, birth through age 21, with a suspected disability to evaluate and identify a need for special education and related services. 

Highline Public Schools conducts specific activities for the purposes of locating, evaluating and identifying students ages birth to twenty-one with suspected disabilities and who reside within the district’s boundaries. This includes students attending private schools.

Approximately ten to fifteen percent of all children have a disability which hinders their educational development. Early identification of disabilities assists parents, students and schools in the design of appropriate educational services.

Child Find Process

Child Find Screenings for Children Birth to 3 years old

• If you have developmental concerns for your child before the age of three, you can call the Help Me Grow Washington Hotline toll-free at 1-800-322-2588, or email childdevelopment@withinreachwa.org for assistance.

Screening for Children 3-5 years old 

• If your child is a preschooler and you have concerns about his or her development, Highline Public Schools offers monthly screenings for preschool children to provide information to parents on school-related development. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of this free service, especially if you have questions regarding your child’s development.
• Please complete our online Child Find Form to schedule your child for a screening appointment. Or contact the Special Services department at 206-631-3009. 

Child Find for School-Age Children (5 years old and older)

If your child is in school and you believe a disability may impair his or her educational performance, please contact the principal at your child’s neighborhood school or the Director of Special Services at 206-631-3009.

Age 5 and older: Please contact your child's school.

• For some children, their screening will indicate that a full developmental assessment to determine eligibility for special education services is not necessary.
• For some children, the screening may indicate a need to re-screen the child in six months to determine he/she is continuing to develop adequately. In these cases, parents will be provided with community resources and home program suggestions to strengthen any areas of minor weakness.
• Other children for which the screening determines that future assessment is required, will then be referred on to a formal, in-depth special education evaluation. This special education evaluation will determine if a child is eligible to receive special education services. This may be delivered in the form of single services, such as speech therapy, or through attending Highline’s developmental preschool program for children with special needs.