2015-2016 School Year
INTRODUCTION
The Early Childhood Special Education Program (ECSE) is a part of the Waynesville R-VI School District. The ECSE program services children who are three years to kindergarten age with educationally handicapping conditions.
PHILOSOPHY
The Early Childhood Special Education Program is based on the philosophy that each child is viewed as a unique individual with the right to grow and develop to his/her full potential in all aspects of life. Various conditions can cause limitations or place prohibitors on "normal" development. Early interventions can maximize a child's potential and minimize the effects of the disabling condition. The value of parents as active participants in the education and training of their child and their need for support is also emphasized.
The Early Childhood Special Education Program seeks to identify disabilities and delays as well as strengths for children who are three to five-years-old. Those identified strengths and weaknesses will determine programming for the individual child specifying goals and objectives to be reached. We follow Dr. Nancy Peterson's (University of Kansas) guidelines as the intent for our program:
1. Prevent, if possible, early developmental irregularities or problems from persisting and compounding into full blown, diagnosable disabilities.
2. Minimize the effects of physical, sensory, or neurological impairments on a child’s
a. Overall development,
b. Ability to interact with the environment and participate in the normal activities of early childhood that promote learning and developmental competence.
3. Prevent, if possible, the development of secondary conditions that may occur when primary disabilities are allowed to interfere with normal experiences and learning so that additional problems/delays develop.
4. Help challenged children learn to cope with their particular disability through early
stimulation and training. By beginning early to teach the skills motivation, curiosity,
and behavioral traits the child needs to be a functional/adaptive person, the impact of
a disability upon their lives may be reduced.
5. Provide support to parents in dealing with the special needs of their disabled child and to help parents obtain information and gain skills that will facilitate their parenting/care-giving efforts.
The program also stresses the importance of collaboration between various professionals and interagency cooperation to provide the best programming for an individual child. The services provided by the Waynesville Early Childhood Special Education Program include assessment personnel, classroom teachers, speech therapists, clerical staff, occupational and physical therapists, teacher assistants, and a nurse. Consultant services for hearing impaired, visually impaired, and social/emotionally impaired students are also available. Many different agencies provide support or services to challenged children in addition to the Early Childhood Special Education Program. To maximize efforts and minimize gaps in services, representatives from these agencies serve in an advisory position to the special preschool program.
ORGANIZATION
Our staff is organized so each professional has input into plans and strategies for instruction with other professionals. This gives your child the benefit of their abilities in the development and implementation of your child's program.
VISITING SCHOOL/TELEPHONING
Parents of Early Childhood Special Education students are welcome to call and schedule an appointment to speak with the Process Coordinator and classroom teacher. If you need to leave a message or talk with the teachers, please observe the hours our students are in attendance and call before or after those times if possible. All teacher have voice mail service so calls during school hours will be directed to voice mail, so that teachers can check messages when students are not in school.
TRANSFERRING
If you find that you will be transferring away from the Early Childhood Special Education Program, we need to know at least three school days in advance of the last date your child will be in attendance. This gives us time to copy information needed for a smooth transfer. You will be given records to hand-carry to the new school, but the official records will be mailed directly to that new school upon a request from them.
SNACKS
Snacks are served daily. Each parent is asked to provide $10.00 per month for snacks and milk. The monies collected will allow the staff to purchase snacks. The ECSE staff and students will prepare the daily snack. You may pay by the month or make a payment once a year of $90.00.
HOURS
The Early Childhood Special Education Program has two sessions Monday through Friday. The morning session begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 11:15 a.m.; the afternoon session begins at 12:15 p.m. and ends at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday morning classes will start at 9:00 AM due to the district Professional Learning Communities delayed start schedule that the Waynesville School District participates in. If determined to be educationally necessary, students attend sessions Monday through Friday as determined by their IEP. Speech, physical therapy, and/or occupational therapy services are also provided within the ECSE setting as determined to be necessary for individual children. If your child is going to be absent for several days, please call and let us know. Staff hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES
Parents/guardians and others who are authorized to pick-up students must sign the student in and out. A picture I.D. must be shown before the child will be released. Students who are being transported by parents cannot arrive before 8:10 in the a.m. session or 12:20 in the p.m. session. Parents must be here to pick-up their children by 11:00 for the morning session or 3:00 for the afternoon session or the child will be placed on the bus.
CONFERENCE/PROGRESS REPORTS
The staff at the ECSE Program will be available for conference as needed on an individualized basis. Standard Based Grade Cards and Progress reports will be sent home on a quarterly basis.
INCIDENT
Approximately 5% of the population of three- and four-year-olds will be eligible for Early Childhood Special Education. Local incident rates are based upon the total kindergarten population of the district. For example, District C has 200 kindergarten students x 5% = 10. This means that 10 three-year-olds and 10 four-year-olds would be potentially eligible for early childhood special education services.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The multidisciplinary team may determine a child is eligible for services when ALL of the following conditions are met:
1. The child's development is significantly below that of his/her peers. Significantly below is defined as performance at/or below 1.5 standard deviations of the mean on standardized assessment instruments in any TWO developmental areas.
2. At or below 2.0 standard deviations in any ONE area of development except for the area of speech.
Areas of development that can be used for eligibility determination include:
1. Cognitive/adaptive behavior
2. Speech (mechanical production of language)
3. Language (form, content, and use of language)
4. Fine motor
5. Gross motor
6. Social/emotional/behavioral development
The following qualifications apply:
1. Eligibility for the area of speech will be based upon the criteria for articulation, voice, and fluency for students ages five through twenty-one in lieu of statistical standard deviations. This criterion is also located in Appendix 4 of the Show-Me How II Manual, the District Compliance Plan, and/or the State Plan B for Special Education.
2. Generally, a child with a deficit of 2.0 standard deviations or equivalent levels in either gross or fine motor, or delays of 1.5 standard deviations or equivalent levels in gross and fine motor will qualify if documentation exists of a medically diagnosed physical or physiological condition which causes educationally-related problems.
3. The multidisciplinary team may also document through formal and informal assessment the existence of a significant deficit, making the child eligible for services though the standard scores do not meet the standard, stated criterion levels in 2 above.
4. A licensed psychologist or psychiatrist must be a member of the multidisciplinary team when a child's eligibility is based solely on deficits in the area of social/emotional/behavioral.
5. The team may determine that a child is eligible for services based on expected regression if services were to be terminated even though they are functioning above the stated criterion level and also for the purpose of intensive early intervention.
6. When a visual and/or auditory impairment is present along with resultant deficits in one or more of the areas listed, the impairment must be noted in the diagnostic summary.
The child’s Individualized Education Plan will determine the number of minutes of service(s) per week. All students placed as a result of a referral from a psychological agency must continue with their regular therapist from the referring agency. There will be an ongoing release of information to determine continued eligibility. Behavioral concerns must be displayed in the educational setting to warrant placement for such concerns.
It must be documented that a child's developmental deficits are not primarily caused by environmental, economic disadvantage, or cultural differences.
SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL
The ECSE Program is based upon the non-categorical classroom concept. This grouping has been found to be the best practice in early childhood special education. We serve children with a wide variety of disabilities. The two daily sessions have both severely and profoundly disabled children mixed in with children who have moderate disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy and mild retardation. Transportation is provided at no cost to all students. Speech and language, occupational, and physical therapies are also provided as specified by the IEP.
CURRICULUM
The curriculum in the early childhood special education program is very language-based. We incorporate songs, finger-plays, stories and action games into our daily schedule. Each week has activities that revolve around a theme. Many of the activities we do during that week from free play activities to snack to art projects are based upon the theme. Activities are teacher and student directed. We incorporate Project Construct, the Cognitively Oriented Curriculum, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Handwriting Without Tears and Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) to best serve the needs of all our students.
CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT
Our classroom is a large open room with specific learning areas in various locations within the room. Therapy/therapies may be done within the classroom environment in a naturalistic setting.
1. The circle time area is where group activities take place. Activities include finger-plays,
songs, guest speakers, story time, and language sessions, as well as smart board activities.
2. The art area includes activities of coloring, painting, playing with play-doh, using
markers, cutting and pasting, which incorporate many fine motor skills.
3. The book area has many books the children can look at on their own.
4. There is also a kitchen, puzzle, block and Lego building.
5. The ECSE program also utilizes an outdoor play area to enhance gross motor skills and cooperative interaction.
TRANSITION
To insure a smooth transition to kindergarten, the ECSE staff will meet with elementary school personnel to provide the names of students with special needs, give a full description of their needs, and explain services provided in the ECSE program. For both the students entering ECSE from First Steps on their third birthday and ECSE students who are going to kindergarten or the State School for Severely Handicapped, comprehensive reevaluations are done in order to provide information for transition programming. A link between the school, doctor (if necessary), agencies, and other personnel to provide ECSE services is established. Also, we link the screening of children in the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program and the Parent and Child Education (PACE) program to assessment in the ECSE program for children with special educational needs.
DOCUMENTED PARENT CONTACT/PHONE CONVERSATIONS
Missouri State guidelines require our program maintain documented contact with each child’s family. The ECSE Program may meet this criteria in several ways:
1. Monthly progress notes for parents;
2. Phone contact to update parents with questions, concerns or progress;
3. By providing various games/activities, parent child activity events and having individual parent meetings as deemed necessary.
DISCIPLINE
The ECSE staff utilizes a quiet/thinking chair for discipline when misbehaviors warrant it. Parents will be notified for their input if there are persistent problems. Other behavior issues will be addressed with the child’s I.E.P., as appropriate. Reasonable physical restraint may be used when required by situations in which the child becomes a danger to his or her self and/or others or is destructive to district property.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Parents need to provide 2 boxes of tissues, 3” ring binder, glue sticks, diapers/pull-ups and wipes (if needed), backpack, and a complete change of clothing in case of an accident. If your child wears diapers or pull-ups, please keep a supply of them and wipes either in their backpack or at the school at all times.
VIDEO AND/OR PICTURE TAKING
Video and audio recording and still picture taking are generally not permissible with the ECSE students due to confidentiality and distraction factors. The director of special services will determine exceptions to this policy.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES
An original birth certificate with the official seal, which includes the state file number, must be presented prior to being screened by the ECSE program.
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR RELATED SERVICES
Parents need to provide Occupational Therapy (O.T.) and Physical Therapy (P.T.) scripts each year for students who require these services.
HEALTH POLICIES/PROCEDURES
Immunizations:
Every student is required by Missouri law (section 167.181, RSMo) to have written documentation of immunizations in his/her school record. It is unlawful for a child to attend school unless this documentation is on file. Two types of exemptions are available:
1) Medical exemption – must be certified by a licensed physician and
2) Religious exemption – must be signed by the custodial parent. Waynesville Schools require that all students have received the minimum immunization requirements for children attending public schools as mandated by Missouri State Law.
NOTE: Free immunizations for nonmilitary families can be obtained from the Pulaski County Health Department by calling 1-573-736-2217 or a doctor of your choice. Military dependents may receive immunizations by contacting the Immunization Clinic at the General Leonard Wood Army Hospital (596-1768).
Medications:
MEDICATION SHOULD BE GIVEN AT HOME WHEN POSSIBLE. If this is not possible, a medication authorization form MUST be completed by a physician and signed by a parent for all medications that will be given for long-term periods (greater than 10 days). STUDENTS MAY NOT CARRY MEDICATION except inhalers or EpiPens when authorized in writing from the physician and parent. All other medications will be locked in the nurse’s office. Medication must be in the original container with student’s name; doctor’s name; name of medication; and dosage, time, and route of administration. Medication authorization forms are available in the nurse’s office, local physicians’ offices (Waynesville/St. Robert), and at clinics at Fort Leonard Wood Hospital. If the medication is being given for an indefinite period of time, a 30-day supply should be provided to the nurse’s office (i.e. Ritalin). Medications should be delivered to the nurse’s office by the parent/guardian unless prior arrangements have been made with school administration. (Keeping track of refills is the responsibility of the parent/guardian). Short-term prescription medications may be given at school upon receipt of medication and written request of the parent provided the medication is brought to school in a prescription bottle and the above guidelines listed in bold print have been met. The prescription label will be considered an equivalent of the physician’s order for short-term medications only. The school personnel cannot knowingly administer prescription drugs in an amount exceeding the recommended daily dosage listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) or other recognized medical or pharmaceutical text.