Education

Education

Ages: 0 - 6

Getting Started for Young Children: Assessment, Education and IEPs

Getting Started for Young Children: Assessment, Education and IEPs

Getting Started for Under Three Years Old

For young children the first step in ensuring their best education is to get a diagnosis and enroll in early intervention as early as possible. For children under three years old, you can get help from your local early intervention program usually available from your county or city. They typically provide free assessment and intervention. In Ohio, that is Bright Beginnings for Cuyahoga County, or in any other Ohio county contact helpmegrow.ohio.gov. You do not need a diagnosis to get services.

If you see issues like delayed speech, contact your local early intervention program, even if a doctor doesn’t agree with your concerns. Check here to find your Ohio Help Me Grow information. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page on early intervention provides a gateway to each state’s programs.

From 12 months to at least 36 months of age, every child should be screened for developmental milestones during routine medical well visits. The CDC provides this overview of developmental milestones and these useful milestone checklists along with tips for ages 2 months to 5 years old.

The Milestones free autism Helpdesk is here to help at each age and stage. Visit the Milestones First Diagnosis Tool Kit for more information.

Getting Started for Approaching Three Years Old and Up

For a free assessment of children approaching age 3 and above who may have a disability or special needs, contact your local school district. Most early intervention services (i.e. Help Me Grow/Bright Beginnings) do not continue past age 3, so that is when you transition to school services.

Request a Multi-Factored Evaluation (MFE) from your school district, which is an assessment of your child’s skills and needs. Your child may qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan. If your child qualifies, they can attend their public school's early intervention preschool program for free. These are often excellent services that are run by highly qualified early intervention specialists.

These are two different options that can give your child accommodations through your school district. An IEP is the legal document that sets your child’s yearly educational goals. It is designed to meet the educational needs for a child who may have a disability. It is drafted by a group that includes school staff and parent/guardian to provide the best educational support for a child.

A 504 Plan provides a child equal access to education and may include accommodations, under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A 504 Plan offers fewer rights and benefits than an IEP and does not need to be a written document. For example, an IEP allows for modifications of the curriculum, meaning changing the educational content, while educational content cannot be modified in a 504.

For more information about the difference between an IEP and a 504, read the Milestones School Tool Kit (see FAQ #5), and this Wrightslaw page.

Trust your instincts, ask your doctor to assess your child. If you are not satisfied with your doctor or school’s assessment you have the right to get a second opinion from another medical specialist. The Milestones Helpdesk can connect you with resources.

It is important to know that kindergarten and beyond is mandatory. Your child must be enrolled in school at age of 6 or you could face potential criminal charges.

More about IEPs

After the initial IEP, an annual meeting is held to assess goals, progress and that your child still qualifies for an IEP.

We provide tips and strategies for preparing for your child’s IEP meeting and other details on our IEP web page,

Learn what your rights are and what to do if you disagree with the IEP. It is very important to know that you do not have to sign the IEP during the meeting if you are uncomfortable, disagree or just want to think about it more. Your child will still receive services even if you wait to sign the IEP. Milestones can help you navigate that conversation.

If you are feeling nervous by this IEP process or have questions, turn to the Milestones Helpdesk or your local parent mentor organization like the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD). Your school district may have a parent mentor, whose job is to help parents of children with special needs.

An IEP isn’t solely for education, it is also for anything that prepares your child for the real world, such as social communication, requesting to go to the bathroom, school bus safety or learning other safety issues you’re working on.

If English isn’t your first language, you can request a translator from your school. If you contact your school and there is not a clear way to get a translator, you may be able to get help from a parent mentor organization such as OCECD in Ohio.

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