Developing a Range of Options in Your

Community

Supported by DPI Preschool IDEA Discretionary Funds

Preschool Options

What?Why?How?Where?

IDEA: Legal Definition

Each public agency shall ensure that a continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of children with disabilities.

34 CFR 300.551

IDEA

In determining the educational placement of a child with a disability including a preschool child … the placement decision is made by a group knowledgeable about …

the placement options. 34 CFR 300.552 (a) (1)

IDEA

“The full continuum of alternative placements at 34 CFR 300.551, including integrated placement options, such as community-based settings with typically developing age peers, must be available to preschool children with disabilities.”34 CFR Part 300 Comments to IDEA Final Regulations

Seventh Circuit Decision

District failed to comply with LRE requirement.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) applies to preschool.

DEC Policy

“Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. Natural settings are those in which the child would spend time had he or she not had a disability.”

Division for Early Childhoodwww.dec-sped.org

It looks different for each child in each community.

Home“Instruction at home may be the

most natural environment for a young child with a disability if the child’s IEP/IFSP team so determines.”34 CFR Part 300 Comments to IDEA Final Regulations

Reporting Environments

Educational Environment for 3-5 year olds with disabilities

Reporting to DPI from LEA.

Preschool Environments December 1999

Why?

Children with disabilities benefit from inclusion:Generalization of skillsReduced need for intensive services

Review of Research

Children with disabilities in inclusive settings make more social

skill gains.

Social skills

“Families realized that the children did better than we all had expected in the community placements and that they were acting more like children than special education students…”

Bruder, 2000

Review of Research

Gains in cognitive, language and motor skills for children with disabilities in inclusive settings are comparable to those in self-contained.

(Buysee & Bailey, 1993; Fewell & Oelwein, 1999, Jenkins, Odom, & Speltz, 1985; Wolery & McWilliam, 1998).

Review of Research

Children from segregated preschool settings are twice as likely to retain special education eligibility and three times more likely to receive services in segregated settings.

Miller, L.J., Strain, P.S., McKinley, J., Heckathorn, K., &Miller, S. (1993).

Review of Research

Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion

www.fpg.unc.edu/~ecrii

Keys to Inclusionwww.nectas.unc.edu

Research From Wisconsin

Research Addressed issues:IEP goals and objectivesFamily involvement in placement

Family Involvement

“Effective partnerships between parents and professionals require collaboration. It is hard work.”

J. Fialka

WSPEI

Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative

http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/een/parent.html

How?

Awareness and dissemination Changing professional practice Collaborative planning Utilize research to address

challenges Individualizing services/expanding

options

Individualizing Services

DPI Bulletin 00.09 questions IEP team considers to determine service delivery: Where does the child usually spend the

day? Can the goals and objectives be addressed

in age appropriate settings? If not, what other settings for service

delivery will meet the child’s needs?

Quality

A high quality program is a necessary foundation of preschool inclusion

However the program must ensure that developmental needs of young children with disabilities are met

Quality

NAEYC National AccreditationCesa8.k12.wi.us

Evaluation Tools Early Childhood Environment Rating

Scale DEC Recommended Practices

Where?

Outcomes

Benefits for ALL children Efficient use of resources Shared responsibility Collaborative professional

development Improved referral system

For more information

www.preschooloptions.org

It happens one child at a time.