Early Childhood

Welcome to Early Childhood: Special Education Program

Early Childhood Special Education (Part B of IDEA - Individuals w/ Disabilities Act) provides special education services for children from age 3 through 5 years of age who qualify according to state and federal law at no cost to families. Preschoolers may be found eligible for Early Childhood Special Education services under one or more disability areas, which are defined in the federal and state regulations. 

How is a child identified as having Special Educational Needs?

Any adult who is concerned about a child's development can contact the school district. The adult may be the child's parent/guardian, doctor, childcare provider or other school personnel. A screening or a referral may be initiated based on the needs of the child. A screening typically consists of a developmental checklist, Ages and Stages Questionnaire - 3 (ASQ3), as well as conversation with parents and/or an observation in the natural environment. A referral may be determined necessary based on evidence of a delay. Once the referral is made, the school district will obtain permission from the child's parent/guardian to follow up and complete an evaluation.

An evaluation is completed by the Early Childhood Special Education Staff. Based on the child's needs and suspected delays, these individuals may include a school psychologist, early childhood special education teacher, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech/language clinician, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, and/or teacher of the visually impaired. Areas of development considered for an evaluation may include social/emotional, cognition, adaptive, communication, fine and/or gross motor skills.

Once the evaluation is complete, school personnel share their findings with the parents/guardians. If significant delays are identified and the child qualifies for services, an individual educational plan (IEP) is developed. The IEP contains specific goals that will address the child's developmental needs. Once these goals are established, the team will then discuss placement options to determine the best location for services to occur.

Families enroll their child(ren) online through Skyward Family Access 

If you have any questions about online enrollment or you need assistance, please contact the District Registrar at (608) 842-6528 or registrar@deforestschools.org. 

• If you currently have a Skyward Family Access account, log in to Skyward and look for the "Online Enrollment" tab.
• If your family is entering the DeForest Area School District for the first time, please go to our New Student Skyward Online Enrollment to get started.

• During the enrollment process, you will upload the following documents:
  • child's birth certificate
  • proof of residency
  • immunization records
  • court-ordered custody documents, if applicable