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Preschool Services for Children with HandicapsBy Kathy Zantal-Wiener |
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SourceERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, Reston, Va.ContentsWhat Children Are Eligible For Early Intervention Services?Are These Services Currently Available? What Services Must Be Provided? What Must The Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Include? How Can A Child Be Referred For Early Intervention ServiceS? When Must States Provide Services To Children Aged 3 Through 5? What Types Of Services Must be Provided To Children Aged 3 Through 5 How Can A Child Be Referred For Preschool Services? State Lead Agencies What Children Are Eligible For Early Intervention Services? ForumsLearning and Other DisabilitiesEducation and Kids Related ArticlesIntegrating Children with Disabilities into PreschoolA Parent's Guide to Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities What Is Early Intervention? |
On October 8, 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed P.L. 99-457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986. This new law brought about significant changes for handicapped infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from birth to age 5, and provided early intervention services and preschool programs for these children. Early InterventionWhat Children Are Eligible For Early Intervention Services?Children from birth through 2 years of age who are developmentally delayed (criteria to be determined by each state), or have conditions that typically result in delay, or are--at state discretion--at risk of substantial developmental delay, are eligible for services. Are These Services Currently Available?The services vary from state to state. Most states are in the process of phasing in an early intervention program. If all states continue to participate in the program mandated by P.L. 99-457, the following components and services must be provided by each state: 1987-1988: The Governor must designate a lead agency. There is state discretion with respect to which agency is designated for overall administration of the program. The Governor must also establish an interagency coordinating council composed of relevant agencies, consumers, and providers. This Council is to assist in the development and implementation of state applications, as well as interagency agreements and the identification of resources, and to otherwise advise the state. In some states, the Council also serves as the lead agency. 1988-1990: The state must adopt a public policy which includes all of the components of a statewide system for providing early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers. 1990-1991: The state must demonstrate that it has in effect a statewide system for providing early intervention services. For all eligible children, the state must conduct multidisciplinary assessments, develop individualized family service plans, and make available case management services. 1991 and all succeeding years: The state must make available to all eligible handicapped infants and toddlers within the state appropriate early intervention services. Back to the Table of ContentsWhat Services Must Be Provided?If a state chooses to participate in this program, early intervention services for each eligible child must include:
What Must The Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) Include?Each plan must address the needs of BOTH the child and the family. The IFSP must contain:
The IFSP must be evaluated at least once a year, and must be reviewed every 6 months, or more often when appropriate. How Can A Child Be Referred For Early Intervention ServiceS?For infants and toddlers from birth through age 2, the referral process will vary in each state. Until each state establishes a referral system, the lead agency in each state will be an appropriate starting point. (This digest concludes with a listing of the lead agency for each state and the District of Columbia.) PreschoolWhen Must States Provide Services To Children Aged 3 Through 5?By school year 1990-1991, all states applying for P.L. 94-142 funds will have to demonstrate that they are providing a free appropriate public education to all handicapped children aged 3 through 5. Back to the Table of ContentsWhat Types Of Services Must be Provided To Children Aged 3 Through 5The services will be administered through the state education agency (SEA) and local education agencies (LEA). However, SEAs and LEAs may contract with other programs, agencies, and providers in order to provide a range of service models. The committee report affirms variations in length of school day and range and variety of preschool programs. Examples include part-day home-based, and part or full-day center-based programs. The report also states that family services play an important role in preschool programs and that whenever appropriate, and to the extent desired by the parents, the preschooler's Individualized Education Program (IEP) will include instruction for parents. How Can A Child Be Referred For Preschool Services?All states will offer preschool services through the Special Education Division of the local school systems. State Lead AgenciesAlabama--Department of
Education, (205) 261-5099 CreditsED295394 88 Preschool Services for
Children with Handicaps. ERIC EC Digest #450. ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, Reston, Va. this digest was created by ERIC, the educational resources information center. for more information about ERIC, contact access eric 1-800-let-ERIC This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under OERI contract. The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Department of Education. NOTE: Because of frequent changes in designated lead agencies, the above list may not be entirely up-to-date. |
