Early Childhood Special Education is a district program designed to screen, evaluate, and provide services to preschool children with developmental delays or special needs.

The program serves all eligible students living within Shawnee Heights with many components and services to support preschool children and their families. Some of these components include:

• Free monthly screenings to identify children ages three to five needing further evaluation in the following developmental skill areas:

  • Fine/gross motor

  • Speech/language

  • Cognition

  • Social/emotional

  • Self-help

  • Vision/hearing

• Comprehensive evaluations for children ages three to five identified during the screening process or referred through other sources. Early Childhood Special Education helps parents identify their child's needs and helps them obtain services to meet those needs.

• Special education classrooms which are developmentally appropriate for children three to five who are identified as having significant developmental delays or special needs. The curriculum incorporates the support services for each student based on individual need. Interaction with children who display typical development is an important component of these classrooms.

• Community services for students who qualify for special education but require less intense special education support. Community services may be provided in a community preschool setting located within USD 450 district boundaries.

• Family support and involvement in the screenings, evaluations, and education of students is a vital part of Early Childhood Special Education.