PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN AGES
3-5
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PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AGES 3-5
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Preschool Coordinator: Cheryl Hartman
WHAT IF I BELIEVE THAT MY CHILD MAY HAVE A
SPECIAL NEED?
Contact the Blue River Special
Education Cooperative (located in Shelbyville) at 317-398-4468 or 317-835-7335
and ask to speak to the preschool coordinator. She will take initial
information, and send you a preschool packet that includes a letter of explanation,
your procedural safeguards, and a form to complete that is your written request
for services. Upon its receipt, she will coordinate the next steps in the
referral process. If your child is under the age of three, s/he may be eligible
for early intervention under the First Steps Program. Contact them by calling
1-800-785-9528 in Shelby County or 812-376-9404 in Bartholomew County.
HOW WILL MY CHILD BE EVALUATED?
An initial parent meeting is held with you and your
child before any decision is made regarding the type and extent of an
evaluation. During this meeting, a multi-disciplinary team (including the
parent) decide the necessary testing, the team members that need to be involved,
and time lines for completion. Depending upon the suspected problem, team
members may include the speech/language pathologist, the preschool teacher, a
school psychologist, an occupational therapist, a
physical therapist, and the parent. Other specialists may be utilized as needed.
Developmental areas that may be assessed include: gross and fine motor skills,
social skills, cognitive skills, speech, and language.
If your child has only a speech problem, a full
evaluation may not be needed. The speech/language pathologist, with consultation
of the school psychologist, may complete the evaluation.
Following the assessment, a Case Conference is held to
discuss the assessment results and determine if your child is eligible for
special education services. If eligible, an Individual Educational Plan will be
written to address you child's needs.
WHERE WILL SERVICES BE PROVIDED?
Services may be provided in a variety of settings,
depending on each individual child's needs. At present, services are provided at
the Blue River Special Education Cooperative Office, at local Head Starts and
preschools, and in local elementary schools. Blue River does not serve children
beyond the boundaries of the local school corporations.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD
SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES?
Children aged three through five, with an eligible
disability, are entitled to receive services through the public schools and Blue
River Special Education Cooperative. It is important to refer your child as soon
as a disability is suspected. Current research indicates that early intervention
is important to school success!
All school corporations in the Blue River Special
Education Cooperative provides services to children determined eligible for
special education.
| AUTISM | A developmental disability in learning, communication, and social interactions. |
| COMMUNICATION DISORDER | One of several disorders of language and/or speech. |
| DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY | A delay that adversely affects daily life or educational performance. |
| DUAL SENSORY IMPAIRMENT | Hearing and visual impairments that severely affect development. |
| EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES | A severe, lengthy emotional condition which interferes with learning. |
| HEARING IMPAIRMENTS | A hearing loss, that with or without amplification, affects learning. |
| LEARNING DISABILITY | A severe problem with some, but not all, learning skills, indicated by a severe discrepancy between potential and achievement. |
| MENTAL DISABILITY | Demonstrated by a significantly below-average general intellectual functioning. May be mild to severe in nature. |
| MULTIPLY DISABLED | Two or more disabilities, each so severe, that neither can be identified as primary. |
| ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT | A physical impairment affecting motor development and learning. |
| OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT | Limited alertness, vitality, or strength due to chronic or acute health problems which affect learning. |
| TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY | An impairment manifested by limited strength, vitality, alertness or other impaired or arrested development, due to a traumatic brain injury. |
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD MAY BENEFIT FROM
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES?
There are general ages a which children should be
able to do certain things. The following may help you determine if you child
could benefit from a referral for early intervention services.
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TWO YEARS |
THREE YEARS Walks up & down stairs Responds to directions Begins to ask questions Puts together simple puzzles Strings beads or completes simple lacing Scribbles with crayons Feeds self Asks to use the potty Can play alone for longer periods of time Speech is understandable about 80% of the time |
| FOUR YEARS Rides a tricycle Points to colors and simple shapes Knows age and full name Answers most questions Uses 4-5 word sentences Cuts on a line with scissors Copies simple shapes Plays with other children |
FIVE YEARS |