Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

ISD 197 Early Childhood Special Education Services are provided to children, ages birth to 6, who meet one or more criteria established by the Minnesota Department of Education. Children are identified through a multidisciplinary evaluation process. Areas of evaluation include developmental delay, speech/language delay or impairment, autism spectrum disorder, cognitive disabilities, emotional or behavioral dysregulation, physical impairment, hearing impairment, visual impairment, and delays resulting from traumatic brain injuries or other health disabilities.

To qualify for service, children must demonstrate a substantial delay in development or have a diagnosed physical or mental condition or disorder that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay. A comprehensive evaluation determines whether children meet state eligibility. 

Early Intervention Services for children ages birth to 3 are provided in natural environments, including home and childcare settings. Parents and caregivers are important partners in early intervention services.

Services for children ages 3-5 are provided in a variety of settings, including community-based preschool programs, Early Childhood Special Education classrooms, and individual or small-group therapy. You can begin by scheduling an Early Childhood Screening appointment at left (only if your child has not already been screened in ISD 197 or another school district).

MISSION
The goal of the Early Childhood Special Education Program is to promote success and help children achieve their greatest potential. Acknowledging the uniqueness of each child and family, the Early Childhood Special Education Programs strive to support, nurture, and work in partnership with young children experiencing delays or disabilities, and their families. Together, we work to develop individual education plans (IEP) to provide specialized instruction that builds foundational skills through a variety of developmentally based activities that encourage a child's 

Early Childhood Special Education Services (ECSE) are provided for children ages three through six with disabilities or developmental delays.  Eligibility is determined after an evaluation is completed.

EVALUATION

Referrals
Parents may request an evaluation if they have concerns about their child’s development. Other sources of referrals include early childhood screening, public health nurses, daycares, pre-schools, or your pediatrician. Parent permission and signatures are required to complete an evaluation. 

Intake Visit
After a referral is made, staff from the Birth to Three Early Intervention or Early Childhood Special Education program will contact you to arrange a meeting at your home or our school. We will request information from you regarding your child’s early development, strengths, and any concerns you may have.

Assessment
If your child is under three years of age, all areas of development will be assessed. For children three years of age and older, the specific tests used will be determined based on the areas of concern. The assessment process may require several visits.  The amount of time needed will depend on your child’s age, attention span, and the areas of development that will be assessed.   

During the assessment process, the following things may occur.

• The parent/guardian may be asked to fill out some questionnaires to provide more understanding of your child’s skills.  
• Assessments will be administered that evaluate cognition, speech-language, fine and gross motor, social-emotional, and/or adaptive skills.  
• An observation will take place in a familiar setting for your child, this may be your home, child's daycare, or preschool.  
• An interview with a parent will be completed to discuss their child’s development, areas of strength and concerns.
• Any information from other sources, such as testing results from other clinics or agencies will be reviewed with the parents' or guardians' permission. 

A team of specialists will complete the assessment. Team members may include:

• An Early Childhood Special Education Teacher may learn how your child understands concepts, solves problems in everyday tasks, completes skills such as dressing, eating, and toileting, and plays and interacts with others.
• A Speech and Language Pathologist may evaluate how your child understands language, how they express themselves, and how they produce speech sounds.
• An Occupational Therapist may look at movement skills, hand use and eye/hand coordination.
• A School Psychologist may look at how your child thinks and learns and how information is understood. They may also help in assessing your child’s social and self-help skills. 
• Other team members may include a Physical Therapist, Autism Resource Specialist, Teacher of the Visually Impaired, or a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

Evaluation Summary Meeting
After your child’s assessment is complete, we will meet with you to discuss the results. Throughout this process, we will determine if your child is eligible for special education services. Your child must meet state criteria in order to access special education services. When we review the evaluation results, we will discuss several possible outcomes.

If your child does not meet state criteria for services, the staff may give you ideas, suggestions or referrals to other agencies that may be helpful to you.

If your child qualifies for special education services, and you choose to receive services, we will develop a plan that is individualized to your child’s needs.   The plan will include goals that the school team and parents would like to see your child meet in the next six months to a year. 

ELIGIBILITY
A child is eligible for early childhood special education services if they meet the criteria for any one of the following disability categories:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Emotional Behavioral Disorder
• Deaf/Hard of Hearing 
• Other Health Impairment
• Speech/Language Impairment
• Visual Impairment
• Deaf-Blindness
• Developmental Cognitive Disability
• Physical Impairment
• Specific Learning Disability
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Developmental Delay

Many of the children in the ECSE program meet criteria for Developmental Delay meaning that a delay has been identified in two or more areas of development.

• Cognitive -- ability to think and solve problems
• Motor – small and large muscle use, eye/hand coordination, visual/perceptual skills.
• Communication -- ability to understand and use language, including speech sound production.
• Social/emotional development -- making friends, solving conflicts, expressing feelings, and group participation and behavior.
• Adaptive development – toileting, eating, dressing skills, and the ability to function in home and school settings.

A child may also be eligible under the category of Developmental Delay if the child has a diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in delay and specific developmental needs have been identified. 

ECSE SERVICES
Once a child has been identified as being eligible for Early Childhood Special Education services, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written.  The IEP states long and short-term goals for the child, the type of services that will be provided, and where the services will be located.

Services are provided by one or several professionals, depending on your child’s educational needs. One team member will be assigned as the primary contact person for parents.     

Team members on a child’s IEP may include:

• Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
• Speech and Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapist
• School Psychologist
• Physical Therapist
• Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Teacher of the Visually Impaired
• Preschool Teacher
• School Nurse

ECSE SETTINGS
Special Education services are provided in a variety of settings at three different locations in the district. Services are currently provided at the Early Learning and Family Resource Center in West St. Paul and Pilot Knob STEM Magnet Elementary School in Eagan.

• ECSE Small Group Classrooms - These classrooms meet two or three days per week. There are generally six to nine children per classroom, all receiving special education services.
• ECSE Integrated Classrooms - These classrooms meet two or three days per week. Children with special education needs receive services in a general education setting.
• Speech/Language Services - Children with articulation or communication needs will receive speech/language services with a licensed speech/language therapist.
• Community Settings - The ECSE team supports children attending a community preschool or daycare setting. The Early Childhood Special Education team works collaboratively with the preschool staff to meet the child’s goals and objectives.  

Please call 651-403-8390, if you have any concerns or questions about your child’s development or would like further information regarding Early Childhood Special Education services.  

For more information, please visit the Minnesota Department of Education website or their Parents Know website.