Pre-Kindergarten

Definition

A pre-kindergarten child with disabilities is a child who is five years of age or below on September 1st of the school year and has a sensory, physical, mental, or emotional condition which significantly affects the attainment of typical developmental milestones.

Referrals

A young child suspected of having a disability is referred to the Martin County School District by the Florida Diagnostic Learning and Resources System (FDLRS) Child Find program or Children's Medical Services' Early Steps Program (ESP).  FDLRS Child Find conducts vision, hearing, speech and language screenings and developmental screening if needed.  ESP referrals are scheduled by the Family Service Coordinator for a transition meeting with the Pre-K Program Specialist where evaluation needs and program services are discussed with the family.  The referral, along with completed screenings, is submitted to the Pre-K Program Specialist.  The pre-referral is then completed and evaluations are scheduled and conducted by the Pre-K Assessment team or the Speech Pathologist.

Eligibility

A child is eligible for pre-kindergarten programs for children with disabilities based upon meeting the eligibility criteria for one or more specific exceptionalities listed below:

1. The child is below three years of age and meets criteria for eligibility for one of the educational programs for students with disabilities:
   a.  Developmental Delay
   b.  Established Condition
   

2. The child is three through five years of age and meets the criteria for eligibility in one or more of the following education programs for children with disabilities:
   a.  Educable Mentally handicapped
   b.  Trainable Mentally Handicapped
   c.  Profoundly Mentally Handicapped
   d.  Speech and language Impaired
   e.  Deaf or Hard of Hearing
   f.  Visually Impaired
   g.  Physically Impaired
   h.  Emotionally Handicapped/Severely Emotionally Disturbed
   i.  Specific Learning disabled
   j.  Homebound or Hospitalized
   k. Dual Sensory Impaired
   l.  Autistic
   m. Developmental Delays
   n.  Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy if this exceptionality accompanies eligibility for another program listed above.

Support Services

Other services available to the students may include but are not limited to:

1. Occupational Therapy (eligibility criteria must be met)

2. Physical Therapy (eligibility criteria must be met)

3. Speech and Language (eligibility criteria must be met)

4. Assistive Technology

5. Behavioral Services

6. Extended School Year Services

Curriculum

The Pre-K program for children with disabilities utilizes the Creative Curriculum and the Wright Skills.  These curricula, based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices, are specifically designed to meet the educational needs of young learners.  The need for active participation by students in the learning experience is recognized and engineering of these experiences is designed to assist children in achieving

1. social competence

2. independence

3. academic mastery

The curriculum is not designed to deliver a specific body of information to students, but to engineer the learning environment to permit development of a wide range of skills.  Learning experiences are task analyzed by the professional staff to ensure developmental domains and are addressed throughout the educational day.  The learning activities are based on thematic units.

Training

Training in curriculum, assessment, program planning, language development, social skills, behavioral interventions, and parenting programs have been provided in the past and will continue to be provided when there is a need or request.  Different levels of training also occurs for those who are at beginning levels to more advanced training for personnel that also become resource teachers to others.  Parent training has been offered every year.  Topics have included redirecting children's behavior to toilet training.  Based upon the severity and/or urgency of need, some training occurs on an individual basis in the family's home.