Mesa Public Schools

Special Education

  • 1025 North Country Club Drive
  • Mesa, Arizona 85201-3307
  • Phone (480) 472-0710

MPS Child Find Resources for Staff

(Intranet Sign In Required)

Are You Concerned About Your Preschooler’s Development?
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Learning Knows No Bounds Picture of Diverse Students Holding Hands

Preschool Developmental Screening

MPS provides free Developmental Screening as part of Child Find (see below). Screenings are available to children who reside in MPS boundaries between the ages of 2 years 9 months to 5 years old (who are not yet attending kindergarten). 

Developmental screening may include hearing and vision screening, speech, motor, cognitive, self-help and social-emotional screening, and/or a review of records. Screenings are conducted by appointment only at the Child Find office. Based upon results of screening and/or review of records your child may be scheduled for a comprehensive developmental evaluation. If your child is younger than 2 years, 9 months, contact the Arizona Early Intervention Program (AZEIP). If your child will turn five years old by August 31, 2023, contact your neighborhood school for Child Find assistance.

If your child already has an IEP or IFSP, please complete the same enrollment process for the developmental screening. We review records and complete the transfer process for all incoming preschool students. If your child receives early intervention (AZEIP) services, see additional directions below.

CHILD FIND NOTICE

Mesa Unified School District is required by federal and state law (34 CFR 300.220.34 CFR 300.121) to conduct a “Child Find” effort as a means to locate, identify, and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. The purpose of Child Find is to locate these children so that a free appropriate public education can be made available. Upon request, Mesa Public Schools will screen any resident child as young as 2 years 9 months of age to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate.

 

After students are evaluated, eligible students are entitled to a free and appropriate education, including specially designed individualized instruction for disabled students between the ages of 3 and 21. This law applies to EVERY eligible child, regardless of the severity of the disability and assures confidentiality procedures are followed. If you suspect that your child has a disability (emotional, mental or physical) and does not receive Special Education services, contact the school psychologist at your neighborhood school or the Child Find Office at 480-472-0706.

 

 

 

How to schedule a developmental screening

 

  1. Complete the district's online enrollment process for your child and indicate that you want a developmental screening. 
  2.  Click on the blue ENROLL button below to open a new window with the district's online enrollment page. Follow online enrollment directions provided on our Child Find page.
  3. Provide proof of residency that you are a Mesa resident. Documents may be uploaded.
  4. You will receive an email or phone call from the Child Find office confirming your child's online enrollment and an appointment will be scheduled. 
If you have any difficulty with online registration, please call 480-472-0706 to request a screening.

 

 

 

Click here to ENROLL

Children transitioning from AZEIP

The MPS Child Find team works closely with families and early intervention support coordinators to transition children who may be eligible for preschool services in our district. With your permission, support coordinators will send documents  from Arizona's Early Intervention Program (AZEIP). We also need parents to complete our AZEIP forms.

Click on the AZEIP button below to download forms in English or Spanish. You will need to save them on a device before completing them. All forms will open as fillable pdfs in Adobe Reader which may be completed online and submitted electronically to the office OR printed to be completed and brought to your child's hearing and vision screening appointment. Please save a copy for your records in case the forms don't come through. These AZEIP Child Find forms are separate from those completed online for MPS enrollment.

English AZEIP Forms

Spanish AZEIP Forms

Special Education Transportation Guidelines

How to Verify MPS Residency Prior to Registering for Screening


  1. Go to the district's School Locator.
  2. Enter residential address.
  3. If you live within district boundaries, MPS school names will populate on the left.
  4. If your address is outside of MPS boundaries, contact your home district for screening.

 

Transfer Students with IEPs

If your child already has an IEP from another district:

  1. Complete the online enrollment process, indicate that your child has an IEP and select a developmental screening so we receive your enrollment request.
  2. If you have a copy of your child's IEP and/or evaluation report from the previous district, please bring a copy to the Child Find office or email it to preschoolspecialed@mpsaz.org with TRANSFER IEP as the subject line.
  3. You will be contacted by a Child Find team member to discuss your child's placement, services and transfer process.

 

 

Directions for Online Enrollment [New MPS Students Only]

Pre- enrollment to Mesa Public Schools is required for screening.

  1. Gather your child’s birth certificate or other identification, and immunization record, as well as proof of residency as you will be asked to submit these electronically to enroll in MPS. You can upload your child's birth certificate and immunization records. These records are required for enrollment in a MPS preschool. Proof of residency is required prior to scheduling a screening.
  2. Click the blue ENROLL button and scroll to bottom of webpage where it states: Please select from the following choices to enroll your child.
  3. Choose the appropriate option from New Parent, Existing Parent or Returning Parent. If you are an Existing or Returning parent, log in with your User Name and Password to complete online registration process. If you are a New Parent or do not remember your password, select Activate New Account/Options/Password Help.
  4. Complete the online enrollment process for your child and indicate you would like a developmental screening. Please make sure to select the 22-23 school year for registration. The system defaults to 23-24 since district enrollment has been opened for next year and you will need to change it back to 22-23.
NOTE: Preschool registration is presently closed for the 22-23 school year; however you may still request a developmental screening. If you experience any difficulties accessing the online enrollment portal, please call 480-472-0706 for assistance.

¿Hablan Español?

Esta pagina web se puede taducir al espanol y otros iodomas. En la esquina inferior derecha, haga clic en Traducir (Translate) y seleccione su idioma principal.Para obtener informa cion adicional sobre Child Find, communiqu ese nuestra oficina al 480-472-0706.

This webpage can be translated into Spanish and other languages. In the bottom right corner, click on Translate and select your primary language. For additional information, please contact our office at 480-472-0706.

Screenings and Services for Enrolled MPS Preschool Students

If your child is already a preschool student in a MPS preschool program and you would like a developmental screening or consideration of special education services, please contact the Child Find Office at 480-472-0706.