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Welcome to the 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.
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