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Child Find

The Moon Area School District is responsible for locating, identifying, and educating school-
aged students requiring special programs or services. If anyone in the community is aware of a
child who is in need of special services and/or programs, please notify the Moon Area School
District Director of Pupil Services Ashley Beeson at 412-264-9440 (ext. 1114).

The district as prescribed by section 1402 of the school code, routinely conducts screenings of a
child’s hearing (kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 11th grade), visual acuity (every year
beginning with kindergarten), Body Mass Index screening (kindergarten through 12th grade),
and screening for speech and language skills (when a referral is made by parent, teacher, or the
MTSS team).

Gross motor and fine-motor skills, academic skills, and social and/or emotional skills are
assessed by classroom teachers and support staff on an ongoing basis. Screening activities
include review of group-based data, such as cumulative enrollment and health records, report
cards, and ability and achievement test scores. Identified needs from these screening sources, as well as information obtained from parents and outside agencies are assessed and noted within student records. These school records are always open and available to parents, and only to school officials who have a legitimate “need to know” information about the child. Information from the records is released to other persons or agencies only with appropriate authorization, which involves written permission from parents. Parents who have concerns regarding their student may contact building principals at any time to request a screening or evaluation of their child. Communication with parents and exceptional students shall be in English or the native language of the parents.

The Moon Area School District utilizes a Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) framework,
which allows schools to provide targeted support to struggling students. MTSS allows general
education students to receive interventions earlier and can also help to identify which students
need special education. Universal screening measures are utilized to assess all students early in
the school year. Tiers of interventions are provided and can be amplified in response to levels of
student need. Data collection and assessment is an ongoing process. Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in the planning and implementation of intervention strategies.

If a student does not make the expected progress with this assistance, the team can revise the
intervention plan or refer the student for a Multidisciplinary Evaluation (MDE). Parents must
provide written informed consent before any evaluations can be completed. The purpose of the
MDE is to establish the student’s eligibility and need for special education and/or related
services. To be eligible for special education services, the child must be of school-age, need
specially designed instruction, and meet eligibility criteria for one or more of the following
disability categorizations as set forth in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act which
was re-authorized in 1997:

  • Autism
  • Deaf-Blindness
  • Deafness
  • Emotional Disturbance
  • Hearing impairment
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Specific Learning Disability
  • Multiple Disabilities
  • Orthopedic Impairment
  • Other Health Impairment
  • Specific Learning Disability
  • Speech or Language Impairment
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Visual Impairment including Blindness

After the evaluation data is obtained, an Evaluation Report (ER) will be compiled with parent
involvement and include specific recommendations for the types of intervention necessary to
support the child’s specified needs. When the ER is completed, in accordance with state
regulations, a meeting of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will be scheduled
with parent involvement in order to develop a plan for the student who has been found to be
eligible for and in need of special education services. The school district also provides related
services, such as transportation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and
school counseling if the student requires these services in order to receive educational benefit.

Parents of students who suspect that their child is exceptional and in need of special education
may request a Multidisciplinary Evaluation (MDE) for their child by making a written request to
the building principal. Information about early intervention, parent rights, mediation, due process procedures, specific special education services and programs offered by the district, and the district’s educational records policy are available upon request from the building principal in each building.

Further information about these procedures may be obtained by contacting Ashley Beeson,
Director of Pupil Services, at 412-264-9440 (ext. 1114).