Early Childhood
Do you have a child receiving services through the Connecticut Birth to Three System who will
be turning three years old soon? If so, then the information below will help you understand
the steps in transitioning from Birth to Three System to your local school district (if you
child is determined eligible for special education services).
Identifying and Explaining Your Child's Needs: Tips for Parents
Disability Categories Under IDEA
Connecticut allows children to receive special education services through six years of age under
the disability category of "developmental delay." To qualify for special education services under
the developmental delay category, a child must have a delay of two standard deviations in one area
or a delay of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean in two areas of development, as measured by
a standardized test.
By a child's sixth birthday, the PPT team must determine the appropriate disability category through
which the child will continue to receive special education services. For descriptions of the
disability categories defined by IDEA, read
"Categories of Disability Under IDEA Law"
on the Center for Parent Information and Resources website.
Helpful Resources
-
Birth to Three Family Handbook III: Transition to Preschool Special Education
This handbook offers answers to frequently asked questions as well as helpful tips for the transition process. - Preparing for Your Child's PPT Meeting As parents, you will be invited to attend a Planning and Placement Team meeting to discuss your child's eligibility for preschool special education services. This fact sheet lists suggestions on ways you can prepare for the meeting.
- Guide to Educational Terms This fact sheet helps parents understand the language used in special and general education. Often times, during meetings or school visits, words or acronyms are used that are unfamiliar to most people. This list will help you to better understand what is being said and make you feel more comfortable with the language of education.
- A Parent's Guide to Special Education in Connecticut This publication is a reference guide for parents who have children ages 3 to 21 who are identified as needing special education services, or for those parents who suspect their children may have a disability and would like information on how to request an evaluation by the school district. Also available in Spanish.
- Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Information for Families
-
"Transition from Birth to Three to Preschool"
Webinar presented by Sally Huck, Parent Consultant at CPAC. - CT Early Learning and Development Standards The CT Early Learning and Development Standards, which outline what children, birth to five, should know and be able to do, is now available online. The standards were developed to help families, communities and schools work together to support children's early learning and growth.
Resources for Child Learning, Social-Emotional and Behavioral Development
- Head Start information for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS Resources for families with children with disabilities
- Fostering Children's Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
- Backpack Connection Series for Teachers and Caregivers
- Parenting Essentials
Developmental and Behavioral Milestones, Monitoring, and Screening
- Milestones Moments
- Free Tools to Track Your Child's Development
- Birth to Five: Watch Me Thrive - For Families
- Developmental and Behavioral Screening Passport
- Where to Go if You're Concerned
- Center for Parent Information and Resources
- Parent Training and Information Centers for Parents of Children with Disabilities
Identifying a High-Quality Early Learning Program