Special needs in early childhood programs

Serious disabilities are often identified at birth or during first-year well-baby checks. Infants should be referred for evaluation if, by their first birthdays, they do not:. By the time children are 3 years old, they typically have learned the basic skills necessary for independent movement, communication, and social interaction.

Special needs identified during this period involve conditions that interfere with talking, walking, relating to peers, and using hands. Referrals for special services may be appropriate for 3-year-olds who do not:. During the preschool years, children combine and coordinate several fundamental skills to become adept at communicating, moving about, socializing, and learning new information. Referrals may be for 6-year-olds who do not:. Research suggests that earlier initiation of services is associated with improved outcomes.

Parents and early childhood teachers often worry that the needs of young children with special needs can only be met by special therapeutic, medical , and educational professionals. In fall , the percentage of students served under IDEA who spent most of the school day in general classes was highest for students with speech or language impairments 88 percent.

Approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of students with specific learning disabilities 73 percent , visual impairments 69 percent , other health impairments 68 percent , and developmental delays 67 percent spent most of the school day in general classes. Less than one-third of students with deaf-blindness 26 percent , intellectual disabilities 18 percent , and multiple disabilities 14 percent spent most of the school day in general classes.

Includes two students who exited an educational program through receipt of an alternate diploma. Virgin Islands. Data are also available for students ages 14—21 served under IDEA who exited school 6 during school year — The percentage of exiting students who graduated with a regular high school diploma was highest for Asian students 78 percent and lowest for Black students 65 percent.

The percentage of exiting students who graduated with a regular high school diploma was highest for students with speech or language impairments 85 percent and lowest for students with multiple disabilities 45 percent.

The percentage of exiting students who received an alternative certificate was highest for students with intellectual disabilities 32 percent and lowest for students with speech or language impairments 3 percent.

See reference tables in the Digest of Education Statistics for more information. Number of children served as a percentage of total enrollment is based on total public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade Enrollment data for —20 are projected. Speech or language impairments accounted for the third highest percentage for Black students, at 14 percent.

In —19, the number of students who received an alternate certificate includes two students who exited an educational program through receipt of an alternate diploma. At the time these data were collected, the maximum age across states generally ranged from 20 to 22 years old. Skip Navigation. Search box. Contact NCES. NCES Blog. This is where ECSE students can really shine. One way is to have them take regular classes in schools that are geared to the ECSE population.

This way, they can be taught in a way that works for them, with the regular classroom setting. But another way is to have them take ECSE classes at a college or university. These programs are less rigorous, so the students are always ready for the normal classroom setting. The most rigorous way to learn is to have them take an ECSE program at a regular university.

This way, they can go to the normal classroom setting and learn in a way that is very close to what they would in a normal classroom setting.

The college or university is where the ECSE programs are aimed, and those programs are more rigorous than the ECSE programs at a regular university or college. This is not a new idea. Instructor: TiaMarie Harrison. Internet access required. Materials required. Contact Us. Speak to a program representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. Related Courses. Documentation, Observation, and Assessment of Young Children.

Early Childhood Education Administration.