SAN DIEGO — At her daughter’s routine check up appointment, Melisa Castro learned that her 3-year-old daughter Michelle could have autism.
“I was a little taken aback … I thought it was more of her personality, but I also didn’t have a lot of education on any of it,” said Castro, whose daughter attends Emerson Elementary School in the Southcrest neighborhood east of Logan Heights.
Six months later, Michelle’s pediatrician confirmed the diagnosis, and at the doctor’s direction, Castro asked San Diego Unified to assess Michelle for special education. Early assessment is critical for children like Michelle, so that curriculum can be adjusted to fit their needs.
Yet hundreds of the district's children are waiting a long time for the district to assess whether they need those services -- in fact, many are waiting more than the 60 days allowed by law.
Delays persist as San Diego Unified grapples with a substantial backlog of assessments and more requests for evaluation are submitted. Pandemic isolation may be a driver of increased requests for evaluations, district officials say. And additional staff is needed to meet the demand, but attracting and retaining these professionals is no easy task, the district adds.
San Diego Unified, like other school districts and public agencies, must identify and evaluate children who may have a disability as required by state and federal law – also known as “child find.” However, parents can also submit a request for evaluation to their child’s district, teacher or another school professional.
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