• Provides diagnostic and preschool screening and case management services.

• Provides assistance in locating and identifying children (ages 0-22) in need of specialized services.

• Provides access to and circulation of media and materials (including computer software) related to exceptional student education.

• Provides planning, development, and coordination of exceptional student education inservice training programs.

• Provides technical assistance and curricular expertise in the education of students with disabilities.

• Provides assistance in the effective application of instructional technology and augmentative communication devices in exceptional student education programs.

• Assistive / Adaptive Technology• Instructional Technology

Integration• Technology Solutions Lab• Communications Technology

• Parent Information• Parent Education• Parent Support• Parent/Professional Collaborative

Education• Family Consumer Involvement

• Collaborative Needs Assessment• Information Dissemination & Sharing• Human Resource Training• Technical Assistance / Consultation• Resource Collection

• Awareness• Outreach• Information & Referral• Screening• Evaluation• Service Planning & Initiation

AWARENESS activities to ensure that the general public

receives ongoing, consistent information about Child Find services and how to access the services for children, who have disabilities or who are at risk of disability, and their families.

OUTREACH activities to ensure that Child Find services are provided in community settings in order to locate, refer, screen, evaluate, or initiate service planning for children, and their families, who are in need of services.

Referrals for Child Find services are received from a varietyof sources, such as:

• Parent/Caretaker• Physician• Preschool staff• Community agency staff

By 6 Months:    • Lift head while lying on back • Roll from back to stomach • Move a toy from one hand to the other • Pick up small objects • Babble and say some sounds over again • Be scared by loud or strange noises • Reach arms out to be picked up • Let you know what they like or don't like

 

By 12 Months:• Walk alone or with hand held • Turn body while sitting • Throw small toys or other objects • Let go of something when you try to take it away • Say at least one word other than "mama" and

"dada" • Shake head "no" • Cooperate during dressing • Move toward you when you call

  By 18 Months:• Throw a toy while standing and without falling • Walk, (not creep) upstairs• Turn book pages two (2) or three (3) at a time • Try to fill a spoon and feed themselves (with

some spills) • Say at least six (6) understandable words • Point at what they want • Imitate some of the things they see you

do(sweeping, dusting, etc.)  

By Age two:• Run well without falling • Walk up and down stairs (may hold on) • Take off pants and shoes • Use short (2-3 word) sentences • Use pronouns (me, you, mine, etc.) • Start to tell you that they need to go to the

toilet • Usually do what you tell them without too

much hassle

By 2-1/2 Years :• Throw a ball overhand • Unbutton some buttons • Hold a pencil or crayon• Jump up with both feet at the same time• Use the plural for common words, such as

"cats" • Use the word "I" correctly most of the time • Say first and last name when asked • Drink from a regular glass or cup without

assistance

By 3 Years:• Pedal a tricycle • Alternate steps and feet while going up stairs • Dry hands when reminded • Turn pages of a book one page at a time • Come back and tell you things they have done • Know whether they are a boy or girl • Begin to share toys with others • Play fairly when with other children • Usually take turns while playing

 By 4 Years:• Alternate steps and feet while going down

stairs• Dress and undress (including buttons) • Try to hop or skip• Catch a ball most of the time when it is thrown

to them • Repeat a favorite nursery rhyme or song • Recognize basic colors • Cooperate when playing with a small group of

children

By 5 Years :• Alternate feet while skipping • Jump over low objects • Tie their shoes (sometimes not tight enough, but

they know how) • Begin to copy some letters, maybe reversed • Start to ask what words mean • Help with little chores around the house • Compete with other children in games (usually sticks

to the rules)   Adapted from Battelle Developmental Inventory DLM Teaching Resources,

1984, and other sources.

Part C/Early steps refers to a range of services for infants and toddlers (children under three years old) who have disabilities or developmental delays, and their families. When these services begin early in the life of an infant or toddler, they may prevent or lessen delays in development and increase the child’s potential later in life.

Discharged from NICU with a serious medical condition.Established condition that has high probability of resulting in disability:Genetic / metabolic conditionNeurological abnormalitiesSevere attachment disorderSignificant sensory impairmentHave one or more measurable delays in any area of development.

• Audiology services (hearing)• Occupational & physical

therapies• Vision services• Educational services• Nutrition• Psychological services• Social work services• Health services necessary

for the child to benefit from early intervention

• Speech & language therapies

• Nursing services• Medical services (for

diagnostic & evaluation purposes)

• Assistive technology devices• Family training, home visits,

and counseling• Transportation to services

Based on the needs of each infant and toddler, early intervention services may include identification, screening, evaluation, and services coordination, as well as:

The IDEA, Part C Regulations, 34 CFR, Section 303.148, indicate that there must be a policy in place in each participating state that addresses the transition of eligible children from Part C to Part B services on their third birthday. The steps necessary for a child’s transition from an early intervention program to a preschool program must be written into the IFSP. By helping the families identify their children’s needs within daily routines and assisting families to build on their children’s competencies and use natural supports throughout their early intervention experience, children will be more prepared for the transition out of Early Steps.

The child’s transition team, which should include the family, the service coordinator, current service providers, and a representative from the local school district, determine the individual transition steps for each child.

Screenings are held at various locations throughout Broward County. Child Find provides free screenings in the areas of communication, motor development, vision, hearing, and school readiness skills. The results of the screening may indicate a need for further evaluation.

Evaluations are the formal examination of various areas of development including educational, psychological, social, emotional, and/or medical and physical characteristics. This may determine eligibility for special education or related services.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder• Developmentally Delayed• Educable Mentally Handicapped• Emotional/Behavioral Disorder• Established Condition• Deaf or Hard of Hearing• Dual Sensory Impaired• Language Impaired• Orthopedically Impaired• Other Health Impaired• Physically Impaired• Profoundly Mentally Handicapped• Specific Learning Disabled• Speech Impaired• Tramautic Brain Injury• Trainable Mentally Handicapped• Visually Impaired

• AM/PM MODEL• COMPLEX PLACE• PEPPER• PLACE• SALT• SPICE• OTHER PROGRAMS

• Alphabetland Margate • Ann Storck Center, Inc.• ARC BROWARD (Achievement & Rehabilitation Center, Inc. )• Baudhuin Preschool • Broward Children’s Center, Inc.• Kids in Distress• Riverwood Enterprises, Inc. • United Cerebral Palsy, Inc.

In addition to the programs for preschoolers with special needs developed by the school district, the following community agencies have contracts with the district to serve children with disabilities age birth to five:

• CHRIS is a computerized information system available for use in every county in Florida to track children, birth to kindergarten age, for whom special services are requested.

• CHRIS is maintained by the Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS)

Child data including:DemographicsFamily contactsInteragency releaseReferrals to CHRISReferrals out to other servicesAppointmentsScreeningsEvaluationsExceptionalitiesService Planning and initiationFollow-up actions neededIn-depth evaluations of exceptional students

• Personally identifiable information on a child, parent or family member is strictly confidential.

• CHRIS electronically tracks parental permission.

• Identifiable information will be released only to persons covered by an active parental release.

• Aggregate numbers may be reported on all children for planning purposes.

Grow to Five modules,which address the needs of children, with and without disabilities, from birth to five. The series consists of 13 modules.The training manual for each module includes a complete script, instructions for activities, a resource list, and the reproducible handouts that an instructor will need to present that module. Each module can be used independently and the modules may be presented in any

order.

Module A: The Education and Caregiving Environment: Planning an Effective Program

Module B: Working Together: Communication Skills for Families, Early Childhood

Educators, and Other Professionals

Module C: Health Care: Infection Control, Medication Administration, and Seizure

Management

Module D: Nutrition and Feeding Practices What you Need to Know

Module E: Intellectual Development: What you Can Do to Help

Module F: Speech and Language Development From Birth to Five·

Module G: Motor Development: What You Need to Know

Module H: Social and Emotional Development: Building the Child’s Foundation

Module I: Behavior Management: Preventing and Dealing with Problem Behavior

Module J: The Child Who Seems Different: Meeting Special Needs

Module K: Visual Impairment: What You Need to Know

Module L: Family Functioning: Understanding Families and Helping Them Cope

Module M: Transition: Easing the Way