Early Childhood Special Education
Section 619 of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines the federal preschool program which guarantees a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to children with disabilities age 3 through 5. Under this program, preschool children who have disabilities are entitled to special education and related services in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The IDEA Preschool Program (Section 619) supports education services for young children with disabilities when they turn 3. It addresses individual needs within the context of developmentally appropriate activities, including early learning experiences in language, pre-reading and writing skills, play, and other social emotional areas.
Find Local Early Childhood Special Education Services
Children age 3 through 5 with identified delays or disabilities receive special education services from their local school district. To contact to the Early Childhood IDEA Part B staff in the district where the child moves, please refer to the Early Childhood Special Education Part B Contacts for Indicators 6, 7 and 12. Share contact updates with Angel Spann.
Find Services for Children Birth to Age Three
All Kansas infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) are entitled to a free developmental evaluation to determine if they are eligible for early intervention services. Children identified as having a developmental delay or being at risk for delay can receive no-cost, in-home, early intervention services. Kansas Early Childhood Developmental Services (KECDS) within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) administers early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Visit www.itsofks.org (external link) to find your local Infant Toddler Services of Kansas program.
Special Education Support for Families
Early Childhood Special Education resources are available to support families. Families Together is the Kansas Parent Training Information and Resource Center. Families may contact Families Together to access support in navigating daily services for children and youth with disabilities and/or special health care needs. Visit familiestogetherinc.org (external link), call (800) 264-6343 (English) or (800) 499-9443 (Spanish), or email contactus@familiestogetherinc.org to request support. Additional resources include those found on the KSDE Guide to Special Education and other Legal Information webpage and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (external link).
Early Childhood Special Education Resources
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each state to develop a State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report that evaluates the state's efforts to implement IDEA. Three of the 18 indicators reported to the federal Office of Special Education Programs are specific to early childhood. Additional resources to support local agencies in these early childhood special education topics are available on the Kansas State Department of Education Kansas Technical Assistance Systems Network website, ksdetasn.org (external link), under the TASN Projects tab, KSDE Early Childhood Special Education (external link).
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 6: Preschool Environments
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 6 measures the extent to which preschool students with disabilities receive special education and related services in settings with children who are typically developing. More information and resources can be found at KSDETASN Indicator 6: Preschool Environments (external link).
In November 2023 the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an updated Federal Policy Statement: Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (external link). It states that all young children with disabilities should have access to high-quality inclusive early childhood programs that provide individualized and appropriate support so they can fully participate alongside their peers without disabilities, meet high expectations, and achieve their full potential.
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 7: Early Childhood Outcomes
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 7 measures the percent of preschool children aged 3 through 5 with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who demonstrate improvement in positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships), acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy), and use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs. More information and resources can be found at KSDETASN Indicator 7: Early Childhood Outcomes (external link).
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 12: Early Childhood Transition
State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator 12 measures the percent of children referred by Part C prior to age 3, who are found eligible for Part B, and who have an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthdays. More information and resources can be found at KSDETASN Indicator 12: Early Childhood Transition (external link).
Data Resources for State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicators 6, 7 and 12
Additional resources to support local early childhood special education agencies in State Performance Plan / Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) data reporting can be found on the KSDE SPP APR Indicator Resources webpage.
