Special Education

Eligibility & Screening Process for Preschoolers

Any parent or guardian who has a concern about a preschool child's speech and language development or other developmental concern may request a child study meeting to discuss concerns with the child find team by calling the preschool child find office at (757) 591-4963.

A developmental delay means a disability affecting a child ages two through eight:

1. Who is experiencing developmental delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas; physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development; and

2. Who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

Preschool Child Find

Children enrolled in early intervention programs or whose doctor or clinic has referred are asked to contact the preschool child find office to schedule a child study meeting with the child find team. The child study team consists of the parent, LEA, general education preschool teacher, preschool special education teacher, school  social worker and/or school psychologist and a speech language pathologist.  The outcomes of the child study meeting may be:

1. The child is referred for a comprehensive evaluation (1-1.5 hr.) where they are seen by a psychologist, school social worker, nurse, speech/language pathologist and others as necessary for more complete testing.

2. The child may be referred for speech/language evaluation (45 min. - 1 hr.) only and is seen by just a speech/language pathologist.

3. The child's skills are age appropriate and no further evaluations are necessary.

4. If you have questions about whether your child possibly has special needs, call the preschool child find office at (757) 591-4963 to schedule a child study meeting.

Comprehensive Evaluation Process

Health Evaluation: Three health related items will be completed during the evaluation process (1-1.5 hr.). They are:

1. Vision evaluation
2. Hearing evaluation

The school nurse can perform the vision and hearing evaluations or outside reports will be accepted. The school nurse will refer for an audiological evaluation, if necessary.

The Speech/Language Evaluation: Speech language pathologist will complete a speech/language assessment that can include a measure of your child's understanding and use of words, and his or her correct use of language for different purposes. Your child's pronunciation of speech sounds, physical ability to produce speech, voice quality, and fluency (fast vs. slow rate of speech) will also be assessed. A complete speech/language evaluation from an outside source can be accepted.

The Sociocultural Assessment: This includes a study of the child within the family setting, as well as extended family and community factors which may impact on the child's development. A school social worker interviews the parents to collect information regarding the child's birth, developmental and medical histories, a chronological account of preschool or daycare experience or participation in an infant development program, behavior within the home, self-help skills, social skills, and relevant family strengths and weaknesses. This information provides a view of the parents' perception of their child's developmental needs and behaviors.

The Psychological Evaluation: The school psychologists will conduct ability level testing which may include an individual intellectual measure which taps a child's problem solving ability, his or her memory skills, his or her understanding and use of language, and the child's readiness skills for school-like tasks.

The Developmental Evaluation: An early childhood special educator will conduct testing that examines skills your child can perform as they relate to large muscle movements, eye-hand coordination, pre-writing activities, speech and language, self-help, and interaction with others.

The Eligibility Process

After all of the evaluation components are completed and the reports are on file at preschool child find office the preschool instructional specialist will arrange a meeting of the child find Eligibility Committee. At this meeting, the results of the evaluation will be presented, and a recommendation will be made. The members of the Eligibility Committee will make a decision regarding your child's eligibility for preschool special education services based on whether or not your child has significant developmental delays or has a diagnosed disability.

The IEP

If your child is declared eligible for preschool special education services, you will be asked to participate in developing an Individualized Education Plan for your child. You and the members of the IEP committee will develop goals in the areas of fine motor, gross motor, speech/language, cognitive, and social/emotional skills. Under each goal, you will plan the small steps (objectives) to help your child to meet these goals. At this meeting, you and the committee will also make plans for related services, such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech/language therapy, or hearing impaired services. After the IEP is developed, you will be asked to give written permission for the school system to serve your child.

Please see Health Requirements for School Entry.