Child Find

Referral, Evaluation, & Eligibility

Child Find-Referral Process

Fort Worth Independent School District identifies, locates and evaluates all students suspected of having a disability who may be eligible for special education services. This includes students attending private schools located within the FWISD attendance zone regardless of where they live. Additionally, it includes homeschooled students that live within the attendance zone.

Fort Worth ISD Referral Process

Students currently enrolled and attending a FWISD campus:	Please contact the School Counselor or Special Education Evaluation Specialist at attending campus
Students enrolled in a FWISD Pre-K Satellite Center:	Please contact the Center Director
Children ages 3-6 residing within the FWISD boundaries but not currently enrolled in a FWISD school:	Please complete the Intake Form or you may call 817-814-7580 to complete the intake process.
Students ages 7-21 who residing within the FWISD boundaries not currently enrolled in a FWISD school:	Please contact your neighborhood school for enrollment and potential evaluation.
Students ages 5-21 who are parentally placed in a private school setting within the FWISD boundaries or a student who is homeschooled residing within the FWISD boundaries:	Please complete the Intake Form or you may call 817-814-7580 to complete the intake process.
Children birth to age 2 residing in Tarrant County:	Please contact ECI 1-800-754-0524 or 817-446-8000 Email: ECINorthTexas@mhmrtc.org

What to Expect:

1. FWISD will contact the parent to schedule a referral meeting.

2. Referral meeting will take place; notice of evaluation will be provided and signed consent will be obtained.

Evaluation

An evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team who can bring different perspectives and expertise to the assessment. Some examples of team members include:

Educational Diagnostician and/or School Psychologist: These professionals are qualified to conduct all types of educational assessments including intelligence (IQ), achievement, behavior, etc.
Special Educators: These individuals are qualified to conduct some types of achievement and behavior evaluations as well as informal observations.
Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s): The parents or legal guardians provide valuable insight into the student’s behavior and personality in other environments.
Related Service Providers (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Audiologist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, etc.): These specialists provide information pertaining to specific areas of concern.
Medical Doctors (including psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists): Depending on the disability of the student, medical records can also be used in the determination of eligibility for special education services.

Eligibility

An Admission, Review, & Dismissal (ARD) meeting is held to discuss the outcomes of the evaluation.

Special Education Eligibility: If parent enrolls child in FWISD, chooses to keep child at home, in private school, or in a facility; a service plan or individualized education plan is developed for instructional support.
Child does not meet eligibility for special education services

Students served through special education are children who are identified as having one of the following disabilities and by reason of that disability, the child need special education and related services:

Autism (AU)
Deaf-Blindness (DB)
Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH)
Emotional Disability (ED)
Intellectual Disability (ID)
Multiple Disabilities (MD)
Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
Other Health Impairment (OHI)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Speech Impairment (SI)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Visual Impairment (VI)
Non-Categorical Early Childhood (NCEC)

Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) Information

If your primary goal for requesting a Full and Individual Evaluation through Fort Worth ISD is to apply for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, please note that, under federal and state special education requirements, the district has 45 school days to complete the evaluation from the date of signed consent. After the evaluation is finished, an ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) meeting is scheduled within 30 calendar days. If your child is found eligible for special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed during that ARD meeting. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has clarified that districts are not required to expedite the evaluation process in order to meet the TEFA application window.

If you are not seeking the additional TEFA funding that requires an IEP, and you do not need an IEP or special education eligibility determination, you may choose to submit the TEFA Disability Certification Form instead of requesting a full special education evaluation. According to TEA, this form “is only used for prioritization within the application process. It will not be used to establish the amount of TEFA funds provided to the student’s account, to establish a child’s IEP, or for any other purpose.” This option may be appropriate if your family is seeking priority placement only, rather than additional TEFA funding that requires an IEP.