At the Child Abuse Council Retreat, April 15-16, 1999, the CAC discussed setting up a task force whose purpose, under the general goal of early intervention to prevent child abuse and neglect, would be to enhance the identification ("child-find") and provision of special education and related services to the K-6 "exceptional needs" children in Santa Clara County.

 The Student Educational Needs Committee would provide services within the announced guidelines of AB 2779, which governs the dispensing of CAPIT funds in California. CAPIT funds comprise a significant portion of the sums dispensed yearly by the CAC, the Children's Trust Fund comprising the balance.

Action Steps contemplated include the following: 

1. Develop an active media campaign: 

1. Print Media -- to include clip-out Referral for Assessment forms (I.D.E.A. and California Educational Code Section 56029.)
2. Radio and TV -- public service spots explaining Right to Refer for Assessment
3. Celebrity participation a goal (e.g. Tom Cruise, Cher) 

2. Take-home brochures and other literature for K-6 parents 

3. Promote legislation to provide funds and direction for teacher training regarding exceptional needs, child find and provision of special education and related services. 

4. Publicity to emphasize the strong correlation between unmet exceptional needs and several of society's most serious and costly problems: 

a. Delinquency
b. Substance Abuse
c. School Failure and dropout.
d. Teenage pregnancy
e. Adult unemployment and homelessness
f. Adult criminality and incarceration
g. Child abuse and neglect
h. Mental health problems 

5. "Exceptional needs" includes all 13 specified categories under the I.D.E.A. (e.g. learning disabilities, severe emotional disability (S.E.D.), sight and hearing-impaired, physical disability, and autism); and the other health impaired category under the I.D.E.A. (including ADHD and ADD). Additional impaired children may be eligible for services and accommodations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Contact:

Special Educational Needs Committee
Judge John Herlihy, Chairperson
Superior Court
190 W. Hedding St.
San Jose, CA

Bree Nakashima, Co-Chairperson