Under IDEA, which responsibility must schools fulfill regarding children who may have disabilities?

Under IDEA, which responsibility must schools fulfill regarding children who may have disabilities?

• A. Conduct annual standardized testing for all students
• B. Locate and evaluate children who may have disabilities at no cost to families
• C. Require parental consent for all assessments only once in a lifetime
• D. Provide special education only after a medical diagnosis

Answer: (B)

Under IDEA, schools must identify and locate children who may have disabilities and evaluate them to determine eligibility, with the evaluations provided at no cost to families. This is the Child Find obligation—the district actively looks for students who may need special education services, even those not currently identified, and then conducts comprehensive assessments (with parental consent) to decide what supports, if any, the child needs. The emphasis is on early identification and accessible evaluation, not on testing all students annually, requiring a medical diagnosis, or lifelong, one-time consent.

Under IDEA, schools must identify and locate children who may have disabilities and evaluate them to determine eligibility, with the evaluations provided at no cost to families. This is the Child Find obligation—the district actively looks for students who may need special education services, even those not currently identified, and then conducts comprehensive assessments (with parental consent) to decide what supports, if any, the child needs. The emphasis is on early identification and accessible evaluation, not on testing all students annually, requiring a medical diagnosis, or lifelong, one-time consent.