Most children reach developmental milestones at about the same rate. However, some children may be delayed in some areas and require assistance. Other children may exhibit significant speech/language, health, physical, mental or emotional problems which can negatively affect their educational progress. Children with developmental delays or specific difficulties may be helped through Child Find.
Child Find is a free process designed to identify, locate, and evaluate individuals (birth through 21 years of age) with disabilities who may need special education services.
Northside ISD's Psychological Services Department employs over ninety LSSPs, all of whom are licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP). Five staff members are doctoral level professionals with nineteen staff also having dual licensure through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists as either Licensed Psychologists or Licensed Psychological Associates. Our department also employs a licensed educational diagnostician as well as three LSSP Interns. A full-time secretary and three graduate practicum students in school psychology complete the members of our department.
For children ages 3 years and older, a parent or legal guardian should contact their child鈥檚 Northside ISD home campus. For children under the age of 3 years, a parent or legal guardian should call Northside Child Find at 210 397-3566. Parents of school-age children attending private (non-charter) schools should call Psychological Services (210-397-3512).
Early identification can prevent failure and frustration. Special attention to teaching and learning strategies may help individuals overcome barriers to learning. If a disability is not found, other resources may be identified to help the individual.
The parent or legal guardian will be contacted by Northside ISD staff. Based on the information from the parent, the child may be referred for evaluation by the Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP) and/or Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and, if necessary, related service professionals. The parent will be provided an explanation of the types of evaluation recommended and must give written consent before the evaluation can be initiated.
LSSPs are uniquely qualified members of school teams that apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. LSSPs strive to provide quality, broadly based psychological services to the entire school district.
Responsibilities of the department include:
- Assisting in the development, implementation, training, and on-going operation of preventative programs including staff/teacher in-service trainings, district and campus wide crisis intervention efforts, and suicide prevention.
- Providing indirect services such as consultation to teachers/staff/parents on behalf of students considered at risk for emotional/behavioral interference with their education.
- Providing direct services to small targeted groups of students who are determined to be in most extreme risk of school failure due to emotional/ behavioral factors. These services include comprehensive psychological evaluations for the purpose of qualifying students under Texas Education Agency (TEA) criteria as well as the provision of regularly scheduled individual and/or group counseling sessions.
Consultation
- Collaborate with teachers, parents, and administrators to find effective solutions to learning and behavior problems.
- Assist other educators, as well as parents, in understanding child development and how it affects learning and behavior.
- Establish and strengthen working relationships between teachers, parents, and service providers in the community.
Evaluation
- Evaluate students for presence of disabling conditions under TEA criteria
- Evaluate student need for counseling as a related service
Intervention
- Provide psychological consultation to help resolve issues that may be interfering with school performance.
- Work with students to develop better socio emotional/coping skills
- Help families and schools through crisis situations, such as death or community trauma.
Prevention
- Design programs for children at risk of educational or behavioral difficulties.
- Promote tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of diversity within schools
- Develop programs to make schools safer and more effective learning environments.
- Collaborate with school staff and community agencies to enable services aimed at improving the mental health of students and families.
Research and Planning
- Evaluate the effectiveness of academic and behavior management programs.
- Identify and implement programs and strategies to improve schools.
- Use evidence-based research to develop and/or recommend effective interventions.
Once the evaluation has been completed, the results will be explained to the parent and the parent will asked to attend a Special Education Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee (ARDC) meeting. During the meeting, the parent, along with a group of knowledgeable staff, will discuss the outcome of the evaluation, special education eligibility, and whether the student is in need of a variety of service options. If the child is eligible, an Individual Education Plan (IEP), designed to meet the child鈥檚 educational needs, will be developed. Written parent consent is required before special education services can begin.
In order to qualify for special education services, the child must have a significant educational need and meet the criteria established by state and federal law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 鈥 IDEA) for one or more of the following disabilities:
- Auditory Impairment
- Autism
- Deaf-Blindness
- Emotional Disturbance
- Intellectual Disability
- Learning Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
- Noncategorical Early Childhood
- Other Health Impairment
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Speech Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment
Northside provides a continuum of special education and related services, based upon the student鈥檚 needs.
La mayor铆a de los ni帽os alcanzan los hitos del desarrollo aproximadamente a la misma velocidad. Sin embargo, algunos ni帽os pueden retrasarse en algunas 谩reas y requerir asistencia. Otros ni帽os pueden presentar problemas significativos de habla / lenguaje, salud, f铆sicos, mentales o emocionales que pueden afectar negativamente su progreso educativo. Los ni帽os con retrasos en el desarrollo o dificultades espec铆ficas pueden ser ayudados a trav茅s de Child Find.
Child Find es un proceso gratuito dise帽ado para identificar, ubicar y evaluar a las personas (desde el nacimiento hasta los 21 a帽os de edad) con discapacidades que pueden necesitar servicios de educaci贸n especial.tificar, ubicar y evaluar a personas (de reci茅n nacidos hasta los 21 a帽os de edad) con discapacidades que puedan necesitar servicios de Educaci贸n Especial.
Para los ni帽os de 3 a帽os en adelante, un padre o tutor legal debe comunicarse con el campus del Northside ISD de su hijo. Para ni帽os menores de 3 a帽os, un padre o tutor legal debe llamar a Northside Child Find al 210 397-3566. Los padres de ni帽os en edad escolar que asisten a escuelas privadas (no aut贸nomas) deben llamar a Servicios Psicol贸gicos (210-397-3512).
La identificaci贸n temprana puede prevenir el fracaso y la frustraci贸n. Una atenci贸n especial a las estrategias de ense帽anza y aprendizaje puede ayudar a las personas a superar las barreras para el aprendizaje. Si no se encuentra una discapacidad, se pueden identificar otros recursos para ayudar a la persona.
El padre o tutor legal ser谩 contactado por el personal de Northside ISD. Con base en la informaci贸n del padre, el ni帽o puede ser remitido para su evaluaci贸n por el Pat贸logo del Habla / Lenguaje (SLP) y / o el Especialista Licenciado en Psicolog铆a Escolar (LSSP) y, si es necesario, por profesionales del servicio relacionados. El padre recibir谩 una explicaci贸n de los tipos de evaluaci贸n recomendados y deber谩 dar su consentimiento por escrito antes de poder iniciar la evaluaci贸n.
Una vez que se haya completado la evaluaci贸n, los resultados se le explicar谩n a los padres y se les pedir谩 a los padres que asistan a una reuni贸n del comit茅 de Admisi贸n, Revisi贸n y Salida de Educaci贸n Especial (ARDC). Durante la reuni贸n, los padres, junto con un grupo de personal capacitado, discutir谩n el resultado de la evaluaci贸n, la elegibilidad para educaci贸n especial y si el estudiante necesita una variedad de opciones de servicio. Si el ni帽o es elegible, se desarrollar谩 un Plan de Educaci贸n Individual (IEP), dise帽ado para satisfacer las necesidades educativas del ni帽o. Se requiere consentimiento de los padres por escrito antes de que los servicios de educaci贸n especial puedan comenzar.
Para calificar para los servicios de educaci贸n especial, el ni帽o debe tener una necesidad educativa significativa y cumplir con los criterios establecidos por la ley estatal y federal (Ley de Educaci贸n para Individuos con Discapacidades - IDEA) para una o m谩s de las siguientes discapacidades:
- Impedimento Auditivo (AI)
- Autismo (AU)
- Sordo-Ceguera (DB)
- Disturbio Emocional (ED)
- Discapacidad Intelectual (ID)
- Discapacidad de Aprendizaje (LD)
- M煤ltiples Discapacidades (MD)
- Primera Infancia No Categorica (NCEC)
- Otro Impedimento de Salud (OH)
- Deterioro Ortop茅dico (OI)
- Discapacidad del Habla (SI)
- Lesi贸n Cerebral Traum谩tica (TBI)
- Discapacidad Visual (VI)
Northside proporciona un continuo de educaci贸n especial y servicios relacionados, basados 鈥嬧媏n las necesidades del estudiante. Se puede encontrar m谩s informaci贸n en el sitio web de Educaci贸n Especial; vaya a Departamentos en la p谩gina de inicio de 皇家华人 y vaya a Educaci贸n especial.