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Aiken County conducts preschool screenings for children 3 - 5 years old (Kindergarten year) who are not enrolled in public school settings. Screening referrals can be made to the Department of Special Programs by completing the Screenings are scheduled monthly at North Aiken Elementary School.

Upon receipt of the necessary information, the Child Find Secretary will contact parents to schedule a screening appointment. For children who do not attend the screening appointment, a second attempt is made to schedule a screening. At the screening, information will be gathered regarding the child's communication, cognitive development, social/emotional, self-help, motor, health, vision, and hearing. The screening team considers existing information. Also, a standardized screening tool will be used. 

At the end of the screening, the screening facilitator meets with the parents to review the screening results. If no further evaluation is indicated, the parent will be provided with prior written notice and the process ends; however, the child may be referred in the future at any time. If further evaluation is indicated, a referral for a comprehensive special education evaluation will be made.

The Early Learning Assessment team from the District will contact the parent to schedule an appointment to create an evaluation plan and begin the evaluation process. The evaluation process may require multiple appointments.

Once the evaluation is completed, the evaluation team will schedule a meeting to review evaluation results and determine if the child is eligible as a child with a disability. If the student attends a private school, representatives from the private school will be invited to attend this eligibility meeting.

If the child is determined to be eligible as a child with a disability, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Special Programs by calling the Child Find Secretary at 803-641-2428, ext. 12796 or emailing SPED@acpsd.net.