Purpose of Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Early Childhood Screening, community agencies, physicians or parents refer children for evaluation. An educational evaluation is conducted to determine if a child qualifies for early intervention or special education services. Children qualify for services if they have been identified with a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay/s or if they demonstrate educational needs as a result of any of the disability designations listed above. Hill City offers a continuum of early intervention or special education services reflecting the natural progression of development of children from infancy, when babies are typically at home or in a daycare setting with one primary caregiver, to preschoolers who are often in preschools or daycare during a portion of their day and have a number of familiar primary adult caregivers.
Who May Need ECSE?
Children ranging in age from birth to three years of age receive early intervention services. Children three to five years old receive special education services. Children receiving services have a wide range of disability designations including Development Delay, Speech//Language Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Physical Impairment or Visual Impairment.