Tokeneke SPED Representatives

Special education and related services are required by federal and state law. The laws are intended to ensure that young children with disabilities are provided a free and appropriate public education in accordance with their individual needs. Early childhood special education as defined by the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old children with disabilities who require special education. In Connecticut, special education and related services are available to eligible children by age 3.

If your child is showing delays in any of the following areas, he or she may be eligible for services:

• Thinking and learning
• Understanding and using language
• Self-help skills (toileting, eating, and dressing)
• Social-emotional (getting along with others, expressing feelings)
• Physical (vision, hearing, and movement)

Pre-Referral Early Intervention Process for Preschool Students
If there is concern from a parent or teacher from a community pre-school, the steps to take are as follows:

• Fill out the ELP Prereferral Consent and Procedures. Sign the parental consent for observation and permission to discuss my child form. (The preschool teacher can fill out the form with the parents)
• Send form to the Early Learning Program’s Program Director Laura Straiton. The Program Director is the first point of contact. No discussion can take place about your child until the consent is signed and returned to ELP. Your child’s preschool teacher will fill out a checklist about the concerns in the classroom setting.

Laura Straiton, Program Director of Early Childhood, SESS
203-656-7472
Board of Education
35 Leroy Avenue
Darien, CT. 06820
lstraiton@darienps.org

• The ELP Program Director will send the appropriate staff to observe the student with concerns.
• The ELP staff member(s) will observe the child and write a summary of their observation. They may explain that the child is age typical or provide strategies to the classroom teacher to utilize.
• The pre-referral strategies need to be implemented and monitored for about four to six weeks. At that time ELP staff will observe your child again and review the progress with the classroom teacher.
• If needed a formal referral will be made to the ELP Program Director.

Ages and Dates
Children can begin receiving preschool services during the year in which they turn 3 years old. The exact date depends on your child’s birth date.

Children can continue to receive services through the year in which they turn 5 years old and become eligible for school-age special education.