Special Education
Preschool Special Education Services
The Anchorage School District Special Education Department is actively
looking for children between the ages of 3 and 5 who may be in need
of special education services. Each year our department uses its "Child
Find Program". Here are answers to some common questions we
receive from parents and community members about special education
services for students who have yet to enroll in Kindergarten.
What are special education services and which children are entitled
to receive them?
Our Annual
Public Notice to all Anchorage School District residents
briefly explains special education and the availability of its
services.
How do I know if my child needs special education
services?
Read all about our Child Check
program to
learn when a child should be referred for possible evaluation by
the Anchorage School District to determine whether a child may
need special education services.
How does the Anchorage School District locate children who may need
special education services?
Each year our department review and revises our Child
Find Plan to ensure that we are locating as many
students who may need special education services as possible.
This plan establishes and maintains
an ongoing system to identify and locate children, birth through
21 years of age, suspected of having a disability who reside within
the district, regardless of the severity of the disability. The
system
must include highly mobile children (migrant or homeless), children
who have been suspended or expelled, children suspected of having
a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade
as well as children who are enrolled in public schools (including
charter
and correspondence programs), private and parochial schools, are
educated in their homes by a parent or legal guardian, or in educational
programs in correctional or youth detention facilities in the district.
What about children who have not yet turned three years of age?
The Department
of Health and Social Services (DHSS) conducts Child
Find activities for children from birth through 3 years of age.
Our department coordinates and collaborates ASD's efforts
with DHSS's local infant
learning program (ILP) in Child Find
activities in accordance with established interagency agreements
outlining each
agency's responsibilities in relation to Child Find. Our Child
Find brochure includes contact information for the local
infant learning programs in the Anchorage area.
What kinds of preschool programs are available to students who qualify
for preschool special education?
The Early Childhood & Elementary (EC&E) special education
program is responsible for the provision
of
special
education services
for students experiencing
disabilities from ages 3 through the elementary grades.
How do I know if my child is ready to start
Kindergarten?
Review our section entitled "Getting
Ready for Kindergarten" to
learn more about preparing for the first day of Kindergarten and
all the learning that happens thereafter!
Where can I get more information about special
education services and the special education process?
Our department maintains a STeP Center. The STeP Center provides
information resources, including web and library resources, for
students, teachers and parents throughout the Anchorage School
District. Professionals
there can assist you in answering your question or making an
appropriate referral to another office.
The STeP Center Web site includes many sections that may prove
helpful:
- Disability Related Topics
This clearinghouse of information includes topics such as Learning
Disabilities, ADD-ADHD, information on special education
for children ages birth through 21
years and transition from high school to adult and more!
- Overview of Special Education Process
This topic has information for the parent just being introduced
to the special education process and for those who want more
information about
a particular
part of the process, e.g. evaluation, reevaluation, IEP development,
etc.
- Early Childhood
& Elementary Special Education Services
This topic has information for parents regarding Early Childhood
& Elementary Special Education Services.
Who do I contact when I have questions?
See our section entitled Frequently
Asked Questions - Who Do I Call?
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