Special Education

Preschool Special Education Services

Early Childhood & Elementary (EC&E) special education program

The Early Childhood & Elementary special education program provides and oversees services for children ages 3 to 5 who experience developmental delays or other disabilities. The Early Childhood program has five main functions:

1. Collaborate with infant learning programs to transition children from infant services to school district special education services as mandated under IDEA
2. Maintain ChildFind activities such as the ChildCheck process as mandated under IDEA
3. Assess children for eligibility for special education and related services
4. Provide a continuum of educational placements for preschool students based on the students ’ least restrictive environment
5. Design and implement special education services (IEP) for preschool students

Students eligible for special education must receive special education services in their “least restrictive environment.” Under IDEA, school districts are required to maintain a full continuum of educational placement options for students. The IEP team determines the educational placement for each student. Descriptions of the educational placements available for preschool students in the ASD are as follows:

Itinerant Speech Services
Children with mild to moderate speech language delays and who are eligible for speech language services only, may receive itinerant speech services either at their neighborhood elementary school or at a school closest to the childcare setting. These services are provided by a speech language pathologist with the emphasis on normal developmental sequences for language and articulation. Parents provide transportation.

Community-based Itinerant Special Education Services (C.A.R.E. Teams)
Children eligible for preschool special education services may receive special education services in a community setting such as a private preschool, childcare site, home or Head Start site if appropriate for their individual needs. Itinerant teams consisting of a preschool special education teacher and two teacher assistants provide these services. The emphasis is on providing special education interventions needed for the child to be successful in the normal setting. Team members collaborate with community providers to best meet the developmental needs of the child. Related services are not provided in community settings with the exception of speech language services; several service delivery options are in place to provide speech services to preschool students.

Specialized Language Services
Children with moderate to severe speech language delays who are eligible for speech language services but who have no other significant developmental delays may receive language services in a specialized language classroom setting. The emphasis is to provide a preschool therapeutic environment which promotes language acquisition and articulation skills. These classrooms are located regionally within the ASD and provide services two mornings a week: Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday. Transportation is provided by ASD.

Intensive Preschool Special Education Services
Children with moderate to profound disabilities and who require extensive Related Services supports may receive special education services in a self-contained preschool classroom. The classroom setting promotes development of communication, cognition, social, self-help skills, pre-academic skills, fine motor and gross motor skills. Parent involvement is part of the program philosophy and family visits are planned into the teachers’ weekly schedules. These classrooms are located geographically throughout the ASD. Students attend either am or pm sessions, four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Transportation is provided by ASD.

Preschool Autism Spectrum Services
Children whose disability places them within the Autism Spectrum and who require extensive special education and related services support may receive services in an autism spectrum classroom. The TEACCH approach and curriculum are the foundation for these classes which emphasis the development of communication, self-help and social/behavioral skills. These classrooms are located geographically throughout the ASD. Students attend five days a week, 4.5 hours daily. Transportation is provided by ASD.

Intensive Behavioral Support Services
Children who require significant behavioral support and an individualized behavioral support plan may receive services in a specialized behavioral support classroom. This classroom setting promotes the acquisition of appropriate social/behavioral skills while working specifically on the individual student’s needs. Children in this setting may receive a variety of supports including counseling, social skill instruction, affective education as well as developmentally appropriate instruction in the major domains of early childhood education. These classrooms are located at the Mt. Iliamna Special Education Center. Students attend five days a week, 4.5 hours daily. Transportation is provided by ASD.