Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) provides support and services to eligible infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities and their families.
Referral and Evaluation:
If you have concerns about an infant, toddler, or preschooler’s development, you can refer the child for a free developmental screening or evaluation. Referrals can be made online through Minnesota's Help Me Grow referral system or by calling Faribault Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education at (507) 333-6826.
When the Faribault Public Schools receives a referral, an early childhood special education teacher will call the parent(s) to discuss their concerns about the child’s development. This discussion will help determine next steps, which may include screening or evaluation. This call will usually happen within one to two weeks of the referral. School staff may decide to first conduct a screening to help determine if a child should be evaluated for eligibility. A screening is not an evaluation and does not establish eligibility. To determine eligibility for early childhood special education services, a child must be evaluated by a school district and found eligible under Minnesota state-established criteria.
The school district evaluation team may include: Early Childhood Special Education teacher, Speech and language pathologist, Occupational therapist, School psychologist, Physical therapist, Autism Spectrum Disorders teacher, Teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, Teacher of the visually impaired, Disability areas include: Developmental Delay, Speech or Language Impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Cognitive Disabilities, Emotional or Behavioral Disorder, Physical Impairment, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Blind-Visually Impaired, Deaf-Blind, Severely Multiply Impaired, Specific Learning Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, Other Health Disabilities. The process for determining eligibility and developing a service plan must take place within 45 calendar days of the referral for birth to age 3 and within 30 school days of written consent for children ages three to kindergarten entry.
If your child is found eligible for Early Childhood Special Education:
Part C Early Intervention - Birth to Age 3
Once an infant or toddler has been identified as being eligible for early intervention services, an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is written that describes a family’s priorities for their child. Services are provided in your child’s natural environment. Typically this is the home or daycare, but may also include Family Education or other community environments the child participates in. Visits are determined by the family and the special education team. They may occur weekly to every few months, depending on your family’s needs and priorities. The special education team will use routines-based strategies to assist families with embedding interventions within their existing routines. Families and caregivers are supported through coaching and consultation to help improve the child's development.
Part B Early Childhood Special Education:
Age 3 Up To Kindergarten Entrance
Once a preschooler has been identified as eligible for early childhood special education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will be developed based on the educational needs identified through the evaluation. Services are provided in a variety of settings, based on the individual needs of your child. Services are typically provided within Faribault Public Schools preschool classrooms, but may also be provided in consultation with community preschools or daycares. The types and amount of special education services provided through the IEP will be identified based on the educational needs and placement of your child.
