Early Childhood Special Education

Early Childhood Special Education is a state and federally mandated program for children aged 3–5 who meet state eligibility criteria because they are experiencing developmental delays. School districts and other public agencies are responsible for locating, identifying, and evaluating eligible children and for offering a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Eligible children are entitled to a FAPE at no cost to the family with programming designed to help children meet challenging objectives alognside their typically developing peers. When a delay is suspected, or children are not meeting milestones, local school districts offer Child Find services, providing screening, and if needed, evaluation services to determine eligibility.

The Early Childhood Special Education unit offers technical assistance and professional development to early childhood administrators and practitioners across the state to support these efforts. Please access contact list below to connect with your Specialist. 

Visit our Early Childhood Special Education Events page for upcoming events and professional development opportunities. 

General Resources for:

 

Best Practices:

 

Preschool Indicators:

 

 

 

Contact us if you have questions or needs regarding special education programs and services for preschool-aged children, use the following list to find your Early Childhood Program Specialist, or contact your Specialist from the list below. 

Early Childhood Special Education Staff

Name

Position

Phone

Email

Office Hours

Erika Argueta

Program Specialist

602-542-3160

[email protected]

Wed. 1:00–2:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Hamilton

Program Specialist

602-364-1948

[email protected]

Mon. & Wed. 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Tami Philips

Program Specialist

602-542-3183

[email protected]

Wed. 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Lenka Studnicka

Program Specialist

602-542-1137

[email protected]

Tues. & Thurs. 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Lisa Wallman

Program Specialist

602-542-5270

[email protected]

Thurs. 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Suzanne PerryDirector602-542-1113[email protected] 

 

 

Page revised 10/18/21

From the Exceptional Student Services Blog

SPED DATA INFO: Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey Opens January 18 Fri, Jan 14 2022 Parent Involvement Survey, Updates

Dear Special Education Directors,

All school districts and charter schools are required to annually administer the State Performance Plan Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey to parents of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The survey will open January 18 via ADEConnect ESS Data Surveys. For more information, visit the survey web page.
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION INFO: Education Career Fairs Calendar Thu, Jan 6 2022 Professional Learning and Sustainability, Updates

As part of our ongoing recruitment efforts on behalf of Arizona’s public schools, ADE/ESS compiles and updates a list of education career fairs happening at educator preparation programs across the country.

If your school is planning to recruit for special education teachers from out of the state, we hope this list will make that task a bit easier for you. Review the Education Careers Fair Calendar to support your recruitment efforts this spring. The list is also available on the Arizona Education Employment Board website on the “Employer” page under the “Find a University Job Fair” icon.