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Contact Us:
If you have a concern about your child's development call one of the following depending on your child's age:
Children birth to age 2 call: Parent Education Infant Development Program (PEID) at 540-372-3561
Children ages 2-4 call: Spotsylvania County Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education Resource Office at 540-582-7020
School-age children call: Your zoned school or SCPS Office of Student Support Services at 540-834-2500 ext. 1005
Early Childhood Special Education
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs provide instruction to students who have a developmental delay, or any of the other federally defined disabilities. Preschool special education services are designed to provide children with disabilities between the ages 2 (by September 30) through 5 (and not age-eligible for kindergarten) with services to enhance their developmental functioning. Services are provided in the least restrictive environment. This can include home and community settings, as well as, in school-based settings. Spotsylvania County Schools offer a full continuum of services based on the individual needs of the students.
ECSE Resource services are provided to children with mild to moderate delays in their general education, community-based or home based settings. Such settings can include: private preschool; child care; Head Start; and other site-based locations. This provides children with delays an opportunity to participate in typical programs with their peers while receiving special education to address areas of delay.
Preschool Speech/Language program provides instruction to students who have a mild to moderate speech and language impairment. Language Groups are provided by Early Childhood Special Education Teachers. Preschool Speech sessions are provided by Speech Therapists.
ECSE Center-based classes (2’s, 3’s and 4’s) are language-based classrooms for children with disabilities with an emphasis on language development, problem-solving, social engagement, multi-sensory stimulation, literacy, prewriting and math activities, and behavior management. Services are provided by an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher. The programs are individualized to address the uniqueness of each child. In addition, teachers provide family education and support through home visits to carry over learning into the home.
ECSE Intellectual Disability Program is a therapeutic program that focuses on intensive services in a smaller setting that meet the individual needs of each student.
ECSE / Head Start Inclusion Program is a language based program that emphasizes language development, problem solving, readiness skills, pre-writing, and social skills. The program places Head Start eligible students into an Early Childhood Special Education class so that these students can be social and educational role models for the students with disabilities. This class is a large group setting mirroring typical community preschools.
ECSE Inclusion Program is a language based program that emphasizes language development, problem solving, readiness skills, pre-writing, and social skills. The program places typically developing 4 year old students into an Early Childhood Special Education class on a voluntary basis so that these students can be social and educational role models for the students with disabilities. This class is a large group setting mirroring typical community preschools.
ECSE for Autism program is a service delivery model that affords a classroom program for preschool children with autism. Utilizing nationally-recognized, evidence-based practices developed for preschool children with autism, this program is based on the principles of applied behavioral analysis. The program uses structured teaching methods including: visual schedules, data-based procedures, individually selected motivators, augmentative communication systems (ex: Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS), and a variety of prompting procedures.