Early Childhood Special Ed

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Evaluation
Evaluations are provided for children birth to 5 years old who are not yet eligible for kindergarten. Once consent to evaluate is received from Early Intervention (birth to age 3) or the Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE) (age 3 to age 5) the parent is contacted by phone to set up the required components of the evaluation.

All 5 areas of development are assessed (Cognitive, Speech and Language, Social-Emotional, Adaptive (self-help) and Motor (gross and fine motor)). Psychologists, Special Education Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Music Therapists, and Social Workers are all available to be part of the evaluation team. Evaluations target the concerns of the parent and/or teacher and are play-based.

Preschool Special Ed (3-5 years)
Special Class in an Integrated Setting
Special Class in an integrated setting is one in which children with disabilities are integrated or included in a classroom with typically developing peers. All children benefit from the number of professionals who deliver services in an integrated class, as well as the highly trained teachers who follow best practices in early childhood development. Teachers, with family, identify each child’s strengths, preferences and interests to engage the child in active learning. Each child’s social-emotional, cognitive, motor, communication and problem-solving skills are promoted within the integrated classroom.

Full Day: Full day integrated classrooms are 5.0 hours per day; times vary by classroom site location.

Wraparound Care: Our integrated programs offer before and after wraparound care from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm. We provide fun, structured activities and an afternoon snack. Care is also available during school vacation weeks.

Download Preschool Calendar (PDF)
Special Class
A Special class or self contained setting provides support and structure to children whose educational needs are not met by a general education classroom. Learning opportunities are planned for, lessons are structured and the learning style and needs of each child are considered. Accommodations for learning styles, communication, motor, academic needs, sensory and social issues are all individually provided to support each child to have success. The class is run by a special education teacher and teacher assistants to allow for close support and attention. Staff to student ratio is 12:1:2.

Full Day: The full day special class is 5.0 hours per day from 8:30-1:30.

Early Intervention (Birth-3 years)
Special Education Teacher/Therapist Services in the Home
Based on approval through Department of Health Early Intervention and services approved in the child’s Individualized Family Service Plan, special instruction, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, social work services, and psychological services are available in home, childcare and other community settings. Staff collaborate with parents and caregivers to maximize a child’s potential and independence in all areas of daily living. We strive to build a strong team with parents, facilitating open communication, while meeting the needs of the child and family.
Home and Community Based Services
Occupational and Physical Therapy (OT/PT)
The occupational and physical therapy department provides center based and home-based therapy to children birth to 5 years old with a wide range of diagnoses and motor delays. Therapy is provided using a play based model and helps children achieve goals that will make them successful participants in age appropriate tasks related to play, learning, and socialization.
Speech
Speech-Language Pathologists provide evaluation and treatment services to children birth to 5 in both our classroom settings and in outreach settings. Outreach settings include children’s homes, daycare centers, and/or preschool programs. We work on improving children’s abilities in the following areas: receptive language, expressive language, articulation, speech intelligibility, fluency, feeding and swallowing, assistive technology, and pragmatic (social) language.
SEIT
SEIT or SEIS stands for special education itinerant teacher or service. SEIS provides help to children from a special education teacher in the child’s natural setting such as day care, preschool, or in some cases home. The SEIS teacher coordinates the child’s educational goals with other providers or therapists along with collaborating with the general education teacher to meet the child’s special needs.
Find a location
We have integrated classrooms and centers throughout Albany and Troy school districts.
Location Map