Children with disabilities, or special needs, age 3-5, can get services from the local school district. Preschool was formerly called Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD), but is now referred to as Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE).
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.
IEP Process
How To Get Services
Evaluation
Disability Categories
Additional Services & Considerations (Special Factors)
- Some Students:
- Auditory Impairment (Deaf & Hard Of Hearing)
- Autism
- Behavior
- Blind & Visual Impairments
- Texas Health & Human Services – Services for Blind and Visually Impaired
- Texas School for the Blind – Guide for Parents
- Communication
- DeafBlindness
- Texas Deafblind Project Infant – Preschool Services
- Services to Students who have Sensory Impairments (includes vision/hearing/deafblindness) – Region 11 ESC
- All Students:
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) – Overview
- Developing an IEP: Who? What? When? Where? And Why?
- Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
- Goals and Objectives
Supplementary Aids and Services
Assessment – PreK Beginning of Year and End of Year assessments (a great resource to see what children should be learning & create possible goals from)
Placement
- IEP Planning Matrix
- Instructional Arrangements
- Preschool Options (ECSE, Dual Enrollment, Head Start, PreK)
- Inclusion in Texas – ECSE
- TEA/ESC-20 Preschool Least Restrictive Environment (PLRE) Document (pdf)
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center – Inclusion in Least Restrictive Environments
- 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)
- 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 and Resources.
- Transition to Kindergarten
- Creating A Plan for the Future
- Plan for their future – Get on Medicaid Waiver Waitlists NOW!
Additional Resources:
Texas Project First
- Simple ARD/IEP Agenda
- Preschool Curriculum
- Dispute Resolution (What to Do If You Disagree)
- Educational Resources
- Disability Resources
- State & Community Supports – Long term services & supports
Center for Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning – Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children – Training modules, Role Play, Videos
Daycare Options
- Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Center for Inclusive Child Care
Developmental Guidelines 0-5 (Physical, Language, Emotional & Intellectual Development) – UTHealth
Early Childhood Education – What Works Clearinghouse review of interventions
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) – ECTA’s For Families page is designed to help families understand their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), connect with other families, and find high-quality resources related to caring for infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities.
Early Childhood Outcomes and Prekindergarten Guidelines Alignment Document – The Early Childhood Outcomes Center/OSEP
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:
National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) – Inclusion of Young Children with Disabilities from Birth-5
Parent Companion: First Five Years – Information, inspiration and resources for Texas parents of children with disabilities, birth to 5 years of age
Region 13 ESC – ECSE Video Gallery
Texas Education Agency
- Services for Texas Students with Disabilities – Ages 3-5
- TEA Early Childhood Education – Laws & rules, Eligibility, Frequently asked questions, etc.
- Family Resources – Includes new Family Guides developed to help families understand some of the things their child will be learning each school year:
US Dept. of Education
