| Preschool Special Education |
A child is eligible for preschool special education if he or she meets the criteria of one of the disabling conditions recognized
by the Disabilities Education Act regulations. The child must have one of the following conditions: speech-language
impaired, other health impaired, hearing impaired, visually impaired, orthopedically impaired, cognitively delayed,
multiply-disabled, deaf/blind, seriously emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, autism or traumatic brain injured.
A child who is 5 years old or younger may be identified as a child with a disability without the disability being specified. If the
child is deemed eligible for preschool special education services, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will set a
date upon which special education services will begin. This date may be on the child’s third birthday or on the first day of the
following school year. An eligible child whose third birthday falls during the summer vacation begins services in the fall unless
the child needs Extended School Year (ESY) services.
Free, Appropriate Public Education
When a child enters a preschool special education program, he or she is guaranteed all of the protections and benefits of the
federal and state special education laws. The central benefit under these laws is a free, appropriate public education. Every
child who qualifies for special education has the right to a public education. It does not matter how severe the child’s
disabilities may be or how much special education the child requires. Every qualifying child must receive an appropriate
educational program, and the services must be provided without cost to the parents.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Every child in special education must be placed in a program which is located in the least restrictive environment. The (LRE)
means the placement which is as close as possible to the regular education program. Special education law favors placing
children with disabilities in regular classrooms with whatever supplemental aids they need to be successful. If a child is not
going to be placed in regular education, the school district must justify the removal from regular education as necessary to
meet the child’s needs. The least restrictive environment at the preschool level has been interpreted somewhat differently
from LRE at the elementary school level. Since few public schools offer preschool programs for children ages 3 and 4, there
is no “regular” classroom environment in which preschoolers with special needs can be placed with children who are the
same age. Preschool children may, however, be integrated into kindergarten classes with 5-and 6-year olds. Or they may be
served in a community-based preschool classroom, a Head Start class, a preschool special education classroom with children
who are the same age, or in a home-based program in which the special education teacher provides services in the child’s
home. School districts are not responsible for establishing preschool programs for non-disabled children, nor do districts
have to pay for private preschool placement for children with special needs unless such a placement is necessary to
implement the child’s special education program.
Making Friends
All children need a chance to make friends with other children their age. Special education law encourages school districts to
give children with disabilities the chance to associate with other children, both disabled and non-disabled, so that they can
build a circle of friends and acquaintances. All children in special education-no matter where they receive their program have
the right to spend at least part of the school day with children who do not have disabilities. The least restrictive environment
for preschool children may be achieved in any of the following ways:
• Locating a preschool special education program in a regular elementary school
• Linking a preschool special education program to preschool programs operated by other public or private agencies (e.g.
Head Start)
• Combining children who have disabilities with children who do not have a disability in a preschool special education
program (“reverse main streaming”)
A child in a preschool special education program may be placed in a private preschool if such a placement is necessary to
implement the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The school district would be responsible for the costs of the
private placement for the portion of time that the child is receiving special education.
Family Involvement
Parents are important decision makers in the special education of young children. School districts must inform parents about
the options available and the procedures used in special education. The family and school personnel become the team that
makes decisions about the child’s needs and services. Representatives of your school district should discuss with you:
• The nature of your child’s disability and its implication for education
• Methods of coordinating your child’s services
• The school district’s special education program and how it works.
Referral for Evaluation
You as a parent can refer your child for a special education evaluation. Professionals who work with your child like your
family physician or a therapist may make a referral. A child may also be referred because of concerns raised by Preschool
Screening.
To make a referral:
• Contact your local school district
• Discuss the reasons for suspecting that your child has a disability
• Summerize the supports and services your child received through early intervention services and their results and
outcomes
• Fill out the district’s referral form describing the child’s learning problems or developmental delays
• Give your consent in writing so that your child can be tested for special education.
Evaluation
A comprehensive evaluation must look at the child from several viewpoints. It must also be non biased and nondiscriminatory.
If you child speaks a language other than English, your child must be tested in the language which he or she uses and
understands. The comprehensive evaluation cannot be limited to one test. It may include (but is not limited to):
• An individual psychological examination
• Vision and hearing examinations
• A medical history
• Standardized developmental evaluation
• Observations of social behavior
• Assessment of language development
• Observation in several environment
• Information from family members and others who know the child well
• Information from teachers, doctors, therapists, and others who have worked with the child.
You must consent in writing to the evaluation, and you have the right to be fully informed of the results. At the Child Study
Team meeting you will meet with public school personnel to discuss the results of the evaluation.
Preschool Special Education Program
When children are three, four, and fiver years old, it is sometimes hard to imagine them attending “school” as older children
do. Preschool special education is a program designed to meet the unique developmental needs of a particular child. The
program may focus on self help skills, motor development, language skills, pre-academic learning, social skills or any
combination of these. Preschool special education is education. It is not designed to meet a child’s medical needs, nor does it
provide the child care services typically found in day-care.
Extended School Year
Normally special education services are provided during the regular school year, but some children require more schooling
than that. Extended School Year (ESY) services may be written into the IEP and provided to a child during the summer
months. ESY services are offered to prevent significant loss of previously learned skills. ESY applies to specific educational
goals and objectives.
Related Services
Children in special education are entitled to a wide variety of services if they need those services or to benefit from their
education. These related services may include (but are not limited to):
• Transportation
• Physical Therapy
• Orientation and mobility services
• School health services
• Speech and language pathology services
• Audiology services
• Recreation and recreation therapy services
• Social work services in schools
• Psychological services
• Counseling services
• Rehabilitation counseling services
• Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes
• Parent training services
• Assistive technology services
The IEP should indicate the related services the child needs, how much of the services is required, and how often the
services will be provided.
Transportation
If transportation is a related service that a child needs, the school district must provide the transportation, contract with
another agency to do so, or contract with the parents to bring their child to school. Transportation means round trip, home to
school and school to home services. If a parent has been offered a transportation contract but does not want to transport the
child, the school district is still responsible for providing transportation. Parents cannot be forced to provide transportation if
they are unwilling or unable to do so.
Program Models
Special education can be provided to preschool children in a number of ways. The IEP team is free to select any model but
must ensure both free appropriate public education and least restrictive environment as it identifies an appropriate placement
for the child.
Special education for the child may be provided in the child’s home by an traveling special education teacher.
Special education may be provided in your neighborhood elementary school building where there are opportunities for
interaction with other students throughout the course of the school day.
Center-based programs involve bringing children to a central location for a preschool special education class. The program
usually lasts for two hours per day for three, four, or five days per week. According to need, some children may require
more or less time in preschool special education than two hours per day.
Five year-old children with disabilities may participate in a regular kindergarten program with supplementary special
education. Some children may be placed both in kindergarten and in a preschool special education class.
Reverse main streaming involves non-disabled children coming into a special education classroom and participating in
activities with identified special education students.
Children with a particular special education need like language development may be placed in a special education program with
focuses specifically on that need.
School districts may decide to contract with local private preschool or other community agency as a site in which to provide
a special education for a specific child. The public school will provide for the special education and related services, but will
not pay costs associated with child care or other, non-special education services.
A school district may collaborate with Head Start to provide a special education program.
When the needs of the child require it, two or more of the options above may be combined into a dual placement.
An IEP team may also develop another locally suitable placement appropriate to the student’s special education needs.
Program Review
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be reviewed periodically because preschool children grow and change very
rapidly. Parents can ask for a review at any time. The IEP must be reviewed and rewritten at least annually. The annual
review should consider transition into the primary grades and into less restrictive environments.
A comprehensive reevaluation of the child’s strengths and weaknesses must be conducted at least every three years. Parents
or teacher can ask for a re-evaluation at any time that it seems necessary and appropriate.
Qualified Personnel
Special education and related services for preschool children must be provided by qualified personnel. These professionals
must have the training to hold licenses in their specific fields like school psychologist, speech-language pathology, special
education, physical or occupational therapy. Unless private preschool or Head Start teachers have these licenses, they may not
provide special education and related services.
Certified teachers with child development credentials and certified elementary teachers may assist with special education but
may not provide special education unless they are also endorsed as special education teachers.
Kindergarten and First Grade Transition
As a childs’ sixth birthday comes closer a number of important decisions have to be made. First of all, if the child has been
identified as a “child with disabilities,” that generic classification must be changed to one of the disabling condition found in
special education law in your state for school-aged children. This change in classification can be traumatic for parents.
Parents should insist that the child be thoroughly and properly evaluated before any new classification is applied.
A second important decision concerns placement, specifically how the IEP team will determine the appropriate placement for
the student entering kindergarten or first grade in the public school. The preference in special education is for placement in
the regular classroom if the child’s needs can be met in that setting. When considering a regular classroom placement, the
IEP team should consider what barriers there may be to the child’s success and how those barriers could be eliminated.
Parents Rights
Parents of children in special education are invited to participate fully with professionals in designing their child’s educational
program. To guarantee that parents have an opportunity to participate, special education law provides parents with the
following rights:
Notice - You have the right to receive written notice before the school evaluates your child individually, considers special
education for your child, or changes your child’s placement. You also have the right to receive notice before the school
district refuses your request for an evaluation or change in placement.
Records - You have the right to inspect and review all of your child’s’s educational records.
Consent - You must give written consent before the school district can evaluate your child or place your child in a special
education program.
Evaluations - It is important to understand the following about evaluations:
a. You may refuse to permit an evaluation;
b. If your child is evaluated and you think the evaluation is not adequate, you have the right to get an Independent Evaluation;
c. The school district must reevaluate your child at least every three years;
d. All tests must be given in the language the child knows best;
e. You have the right to be fully informed of the results of the evaluation.
Due Process - You have the right to an impartial due process hearing if you disagree with the school district on a special
education matter.
Complaints - You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of Public Instruction if the school district does not
comply with special education law.
Preschool Special Education / Local School District Ages Served 3-6 years old.
Eligibility Requirements:
Child with Disabilities or Cognitive delay
Autism Deaf-blindness
Deafness Hearing impairment
Emotional disturbance Orthopedic impairment
Other health impairment Specific learning disability
Speech impairment Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairment
Special education & related services are at no cost to parents.
Parent Empowerment
As your child moves through the preschool special education process, he or she will be learning many new skills. You as
parents will also be acquiring knowledge about yourselves, about your child, and about the services and opportunities available
to your child. The more information you have, the more power and control you will have over your child’s educational future.
You can become empowered as a parent of a child with special needs by doing the following:
1. Contacting national, state and local disability groups for more information about your child’s disability;
2. Reading materials available from the TRIC/PLUK Library at Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids
(800-222-7585);
3. Asking questions of the professional who work with your child;
4. Keeping careful records of your child’s medical and educational history;
5. Participating in parent training workshops;
6. Joining a parent organization and gaining emotional and social support.
by the Disabilities Education Act regulations. The child must have one of the following conditions: speech-language
impaired, other health impaired, hearing impaired, visually impaired, orthopedically impaired, cognitively delayed,
multiply-disabled, deaf/blind, seriously emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, autism or traumatic brain injured.
A child who is 5 years old or younger may be identified as a child with a disability without the disability being specified. If the
child is deemed eligible for preschool special education services, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will set a
date upon which special education services will begin. This date may be on the child’s third birthday or on the first day of the
following school year. An eligible child whose third birthday falls during the summer vacation begins services in the fall unless
the child needs Extended School Year (ESY) services.
Free, Appropriate Public Education
When a child enters a preschool special education program, he or she is guaranteed all of the protections and benefits of the
federal and state special education laws. The central benefit under these laws is a free, appropriate public education. Every
child who qualifies for special education has the right to a public education. It does not matter how severe the child’s
disabilities may be or how much special education the child requires. Every qualifying child must receive an appropriate
educational program, and the services must be provided without cost to the parents.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Every child in special education must be placed in a program which is located in the least restrictive environment. The (LRE)
means the placement which is as close as possible to the regular education program. Special education law favors placing
children with disabilities in regular classrooms with whatever supplemental aids they need to be successful. If a child is not
going to be placed in regular education, the school district must justify the removal from regular education as necessary to
meet the child’s needs. The least restrictive environment at the preschool level has been interpreted somewhat differently
from LRE at the elementary school level. Since few public schools offer preschool programs for children ages 3 and 4, there
is no “regular” classroom environment in which preschoolers with special needs can be placed with children who are the
same age. Preschool children may, however, be integrated into kindergarten classes with 5-and 6-year olds. Or they may be
served in a community-based preschool classroom, a Head Start class, a preschool special education classroom with children
who are the same age, or in a home-based program in which the special education teacher provides services in the child’s
home. School districts are not responsible for establishing preschool programs for non-disabled children, nor do districts
have to pay for private preschool placement for children with special needs unless such a placement is necessary to
implement the child’s special education program.
Making Friends
All children need a chance to make friends with other children their age. Special education law encourages school districts to
give children with disabilities the chance to associate with other children, both disabled and non-disabled, so that they can
build a circle of friends and acquaintances. All children in special education-no matter where they receive their program have
the right to spend at least part of the school day with children who do not have disabilities. The least restrictive environment
for preschool children may be achieved in any of the following ways:
• Locating a preschool special education program in a regular elementary school
• Linking a preschool special education program to preschool programs operated by other public or private agencies (e.g.
Head Start)
• Combining children who have disabilities with children who do not have a disability in a preschool special education
program (“reverse main streaming”)
A child in a preschool special education program may be placed in a private preschool if such a placement is necessary to
implement the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The school district would be responsible for the costs of the
private placement for the portion of time that the child is receiving special education.
Family Involvement
Parents are important decision makers in the special education of young children. School districts must inform parents about
the options available and the procedures used in special education. The family and school personnel become the team that
makes decisions about the child’s needs and services. Representatives of your school district should discuss with you:
• The nature of your child’s disability and its implication for education
• Methods of coordinating your child’s services
• The school district’s special education program and how it works.
Referral for Evaluation
You as a parent can refer your child for a special education evaluation. Professionals who work with your child like your
family physician or a therapist may make a referral. A child may also be referred because of concerns raised by Preschool
Screening.
To make a referral:
• Contact your local school district
• Discuss the reasons for suspecting that your child has a disability
• Summerize the supports and services your child received through early intervention services and their results and
outcomes
• Fill out the district’s referral form describing the child’s learning problems or developmental delays
• Give your consent in writing so that your child can be tested for special education.
Evaluation
A comprehensive evaluation must look at the child from several viewpoints. It must also be non biased and nondiscriminatory.
If you child speaks a language other than English, your child must be tested in the language which he or she uses and
understands. The comprehensive evaluation cannot be limited to one test. It may include (but is not limited to):
• An individual psychological examination
• Vision and hearing examinations
• A medical history
• Standardized developmental evaluation
• Observations of social behavior
• Assessment of language development
• Observation in several environment
• Information from family members and others who know the child well
• Information from teachers, doctors, therapists, and others who have worked with the child.
You must consent in writing to the evaluation, and you have the right to be fully informed of the results. At the Child Study
Team meeting you will meet with public school personnel to discuss the results of the evaluation.
Preschool Special Education Program
When children are three, four, and fiver years old, it is sometimes hard to imagine them attending “school” as older children
do. Preschool special education is a program designed to meet the unique developmental needs of a particular child. The
program may focus on self help skills, motor development, language skills, pre-academic learning, social skills or any
combination of these. Preschool special education is education. It is not designed to meet a child’s medical needs, nor does it
provide the child care services typically found in day-care.
Extended School Year
Normally special education services are provided during the regular school year, but some children require more schooling
than that. Extended School Year (ESY) services may be written into the IEP and provided to a child during the summer
months. ESY services are offered to prevent significant loss of previously learned skills. ESY applies to specific educational
goals and objectives.
Related Services
Children in special education are entitled to a wide variety of services if they need those services or to benefit from their
education. These related services may include (but are not limited to):
• Transportation
• Physical Therapy
• Orientation and mobility services
• School health services
• Speech and language pathology services
• Audiology services
• Recreation and recreation therapy services
• Social work services in schools
• Psychological services
• Counseling services
• Rehabilitation counseling services
• Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes
• Parent training services
• Assistive technology services
The IEP should indicate the related services the child needs, how much of the services is required, and how often the
services will be provided.
Transportation
If transportation is a related service that a child needs, the school district must provide the transportation, contract with
another agency to do so, or contract with the parents to bring their child to school. Transportation means round trip, home to
school and school to home services. If a parent has been offered a transportation contract but does not want to transport the
child, the school district is still responsible for providing transportation. Parents cannot be forced to provide transportation if
they are unwilling or unable to do so.
Program Models
Special education can be provided to preschool children in a number of ways. The IEP team is free to select any model but
must ensure both free appropriate public education and least restrictive environment as it identifies an appropriate placement
for the child.
Special education for the child may be provided in the child’s home by an traveling special education teacher.
Special education may be provided in your neighborhood elementary school building where there are opportunities for
interaction with other students throughout the course of the school day.
Center-based programs involve bringing children to a central location for a preschool special education class. The program
usually lasts for two hours per day for three, four, or five days per week. According to need, some children may require
more or less time in preschool special education than two hours per day.
Five year-old children with disabilities may participate in a regular kindergarten program with supplementary special
education. Some children may be placed both in kindergarten and in a preschool special education class.
Reverse main streaming involves non-disabled children coming into a special education classroom and participating in
activities with identified special education students.
Children with a particular special education need like language development may be placed in a special education program with
focuses specifically on that need.
School districts may decide to contract with local private preschool or other community agency as a site in which to provide
a special education for a specific child. The public school will provide for the special education and related services, but will
not pay costs associated with child care or other, non-special education services.
A school district may collaborate with Head Start to provide a special education program.
When the needs of the child require it, two or more of the options above may be combined into a dual placement.
An IEP team may also develop another locally suitable placement appropriate to the student’s special education needs.
Program Review
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be reviewed periodically because preschool children grow and change very
rapidly. Parents can ask for a review at any time. The IEP must be reviewed and rewritten at least annually. The annual
review should consider transition into the primary grades and into less restrictive environments.
A comprehensive reevaluation of the child’s strengths and weaknesses must be conducted at least every three years. Parents
or teacher can ask for a re-evaluation at any time that it seems necessary and appropriate.
Qualified Personnel
Special education and related services for preschool children must be provided by qualified personnel. These professionals
must have the training to hold licenses in their specific fields like school psychologist, speech-language pathology, special
education, physical or occupational therapy. Unless private preschool or Head Start teachers have these licenses, they may not
provide special education and related services.
Certified teachers with child development credentials and certified elementary teachers may assist with special education but
may not provide special education unless they are also endorsed as special education teachers.
Kindergarten and First Grade Transition
As a childs’ sixth birthday comes closer a number of important decisions have to be made. First of all, if the child has been
identified as a “child with disabilities,” that generic classification must be changed to one of the disabling condition found in
special education law in your state for school-aged children. This change in classification can be traumatic for parents.
Parents should insist that the child be thoroughly and properly evaluated before any new classification is applied.
A second important decision concerns placement, specifically how the IEP team will determine the appropriate placement for
the student entering kindergarten or first grade in the public school. The preference in special education is for placement in
the regular classroom if the child’s needs can be met in that setting. When considering a regular classroom placement, the
IEP team should consider what barriers there may be to the child’s success and how those barriers could be eliminated.
Parents Rights
Parents of children in special education are invited to participate fully with professionals in designing their child’s educational
program. To guarantee that parents have an opportunity to participate, special education law provides parents with the
following rights:
Notice - You have the right to receive written notice before the school evaluates your child individually, considers special
education for your child, or changes your child’s placement. You also have the right to receive notice before the school
district refuses your request for an evaluation or change in placement.
Records - You have the right to inspect and review all of your child’s’s educational records.
Consent - You must give written consent before the school district can evaluate your child or place your child in a special
education program.
Evaluations - It is important to understand the following about evaluations:
a. You may refuse to permit an evaluation;
b. If your child is evaluated and you think the evaluation is not adequate, you have the right to get an Independent Evaluation;
c. The school district must reevaluate your child at least every three years;
d. All tests must be given in the language the child knows best;
e. You have the right to be fully informed of the results of the evaluation.
Due Process - You have the right to an impartial due process hearing if you disagree with the school district on a special
education matter.
Complaints - You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of Public Instruction if the school district does not
comply with special education law.
Preschool Special Education / Local School District Ages Served 3-6 years old.
Eligibility Requirements:
Child with Disabilities or Cognitive delay
Autism Deaf-blindness
Deafness Hearing impairment
Emotional disturbance Orthopedic impairment
Other health impairment Specific learning disability
Speech impairment Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairment
Special education & related services are at no cost to parents.
Parent Empowerment
As your child moves through the preschool special education process, he or she will be learning many new skills. You as
parents will also be acquiring knowledge about yourselves, about your child, and about the services and opportunities available
to your child. The more information you have, the more power and control you will have over your child’s educational future.
You can become empowered as a parent of a child with special needs by doing the following:
1. Contacting national, state and local disability groups for more information about your child’s disability;
2. Reading materials available from the TRIC/PLUK Library at Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids
(800-222-7585);
3. Asking questions of the professional who work with your child;
4. Keeping careful records of your child’s medical and educational history;
5. Participating in parent training workshops;
6. Joining a parent organization and gaining emotional and social support.
| Preschool Special Education |
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