Preschool Programs (3-5 years old)

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The SELPA assures that 3-4-5 year olds with disabilities not yet in kindergarten have access to Special Education services, as per EC 56440.  At this age, children qualify for services under the same categories as for K-12.  Click here for a copy of Special Education Eligibility Guidelines.  Eligibility is established via assessment conducted by the school district team, which may include several professionals.  The decision about whether or not a child is eligible for special education services is made by the IEP team, including parents, based on the assessment results.

           

By participating in the SELPA, each local school district has access to a full range of Special Education programs and services, regardless of size.  Click here for a copy of the interdistrict chart for preschoolers, which shows which district provides which services, at no cost to families.  Services are always determined by the IEP team process.  Click here for more information on the IEP Process.

 

Primary Special Education services which may be provided to preschoolers are:

1. Individual and Small Group (ISG) services provided in a preschool setting
2. Intensive Individualized Instruction (III), which is extra adult support for all or part of the day in a preschool setting
3. Language and Speech services provided individually, in small groups, or as a consultation to the preschool teacher

 

In addition to the Primary Special Education services, an IEP team may also decide a child needs a Related Service, which are services to assist the child in benefiting from their Special Education program.  Related Services may include (but are not limited to):

1. Occupational Therapy – To assist child in accessing the activities of the preschool environment
2. Physical Therapy – To provide access and safety to the preschool program
3. Health and Nursing Services
4. Transportation
5. Vision Services (for blind/low vision)
6. Orientation and Mobility (for students with visual impairments)
7. Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services
8. Physical and Health Impairments Services  

* Note:  Adapted PE is not provided to preschoolers, as there is no “regular P.E.” program required by law for preschool.

 

All the above might be provided in the context of a regular preschool (such as Head Start or Community Preschool), in a Special Education preschool taught by a credentialed Special Education teacher, or in a therapy room or home/community setting. As Special Education services are school-based services, the goal is always to increase the child’s readiness or ability to participate and learn in school.  This is different than the services provided in the Early Start Program (0-3) as those services are focused on the child’s functioning within the family context, and are often more therapeutic in nature.

All children with an IEP who are 3-4-5 years old and not in preschool participate in the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP), which is a statewide assessment that measures child development, and is given to all preschoolers with disabilities in California.  The purpose of this assessment is to measure the efficacy of the overall program.  The DRDP access is for those who are below developmental expectations.  Click here for a list of items on the DRDP access.  

The State of California has adopted Preschool Learning Foundations, which are considered to be the core learnings necessary for any preschool program.  The Special Education preschools in the Ventura County SELPA all use the Learning Foundations as the core for their instructional programs.  In addition, the SELPA will be unveiling (Fall 2009) the Ventura County SELPA Preschool Curriculum which provides activities for each of the Learning Foundations and tools and materials for collecting data on progress toward the DRDP items.  It will be posted here when available. 

For incoming preschool aged children with a suspected diagnosis of autism, the Ventura County SELPA has established, in conjunction with the Tri-Counties Regional Center, a joint process for accessing children, the Multi-Agency Multidisciplinary Team Assessment (MMTA).  The goal of the MMTA is to assess the child together with the parent, to save the family from having to participate in the assessment process more than once, and to share common finding s and goals. 

For preschoolers found eligible for services with a diagnosis of autism (or “autistic-like”) the Regional Center and the schools hope to work together to establish services that are complementary in addressing the child’s needs.  See our brochures below, A Family Fact Sheet:  Sorting Through Who Does What, Schools or Regional Center? and Autism... A Confusing Diagnosis, for an explanation of which agency does.

For children with a suspected diagnosis or actual diagnosis of Apraxia of Speech, the SELPA has a booklet which contains facts about this disability and possible intervention approaches.  For a copy of "What is Apraxia of Speech? A Guide for Parents of 3-5 Year Olds", click here. (English)   (Spanish).

For more information on the transition from Early Start services to school district Special Education preschool services, see our publication What’s Next After Early Start?  (Spanish)




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