From age 0-3, your baby or toddler with a disability or other special health care need will receive services from Early Childhood Intervention or from private therapy services.
If your child is blind, has a visual disability or is deaf or hard of hearing, you can access services from your public school system at birth.
Unsure if your child is developing accordingly, feel free to download the CDCs Milestone Tracker App. Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use checklists; get tips from CDC to support your child’s development; and find out what to do if you ever have concerns about your child’s development.
Early Childhood Intervention (Not a program of Texas Education Agency)
Early Childhood Interventions for Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing OR Blind/Visually Impaired during COVID19
Individual Family Service Plan – Writing the IFSP for your Family (Center for Parent Information & Resources)
Special Education Process:
Evaluation
Disability Categories
Individual Education Program
Additional Services & Considerations (Special Factors)
- Some Students:
- Auditory Impairment (Deaf & Hard Of Hearing)
- Texas School for the Deaf Statewide Outreach – Children Birth to Three
- Loss & Found™ Online Video (Texas Hands and Voices) – What to do if your baby didn’t pass the newborn hearing screening
- Autism
- Blind & Visual Impairments
- Texas Health & Human Services – Services for Blind and Visually Impaired
- Texas School for the Blind – Early Childhood Resources
- Communication
- DeafBlindness
- Limited English Proficiency
- Texas Education Agency – Services to Students who have Sensory Impairments (includes vision/hearing/deafblindness)
- Auditory Impairment (Deaf & Hard Of Hearing)
- All Students:
- Preschool Options (ECSE, Dual Enrollment, Head Start, PreK)
- Preschool LRE (pdf) – Progress in the General Curriculum (ESC 20)
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center – Research & Studies on Inclusion
- Division of Early Childhood (DEC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – Joint Position Statement on Early Childhood Inclusion
- Inclusive Schools Network – Early Childhood Resources
- Why Inclusive Education Begins in Kindergarten…. Or Earlier (pdf)
- Stetson & Associates – Inclusion Basics video
- Beyond ECI
- Key Elements of Early Transition
- Transition to Preschool from ECI
- How to Get Services – Transition to Preschool Programs (no ECI)
- Transition to Preschool (Center for Parent Information & Resources)
Other Resources:
Act Early Texas! – Provides parents & professionals a tool to identify areas in which a child’s development may differ from same age peers.
Center for Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning – Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children – Training modules, Role Play, Videos
Charting the Life Course – Focus On Early Childhood Quick Guide
Children’s Learning Institute – The Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines are available for download in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. In addition, there are parent guides for baby or toddler (English/Espanol) at 0-8 months, 8-18 months, 18-36 months, and 36-48 months.
Child Find in Texas
Daycare Options
- Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Commonly Asked Questions about the Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Center for Inclusive Child Care
- Five steps for Selecting Care for Your Child (Pdf)
Disability Resources
Early Childhood Education – What Works Clearinghouse review of interventions
Early Childhood Outcomes measures – Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Infant & Toddler Developmental Checklists
Learn the Signs! Act Early – Learn more about childhood development, including early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders, and encourages developmental screening and intervention.
Legal Framework for the Child Centered Process
Parent Companion: First Five Years – Information, inspiration and resources for Texas parents of children with disabilities, birth to 5 years of age
Preschool Curriculum
- Early Childhood Outcomes and Prekindergarten Guidelines Alignment Document – The Early Childhood Outcomes Center/OSEP
- Developmental Guidelines 0-5 (Physical, Language, Emotional & Intellectual Development)
- TEA Parent Guides for PreK – Grade 3
Simple ARD/IEP Agenda
Long term services and support – If your child has a disability or other special health care need and requires additional assistance, it is imperative that you sign your child up for long term services NOW due to the long wait for support services in Texas.
Technical Assistance Center on Social/Emotional Intervention of Young Children – TACSEI
US Dept of Health & Human Services Children’s Bureau – Video Series on Early Childhood Social Emotional Development and Mental Health and Caregiver Well-being
Zero to Three (Early Childhood Resources) – The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
