Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is a state and federally mandated program for children (ages 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 offering a free & appropriate public education (FAPE). Eligible children are entitled to a FAPE at no cost to the family. If a child is eligible, the public school district of the child must offer services to meet their identified needs to access the general education curriculum.
When a delay is suspected, or children are not meeting milestones, local school districts offer Child Find services to observe and evaluate children's play, communication, behavior, learning and movement skills. Please visit the Child Find resource page for further information about this service or call your local school district to request a screening. Currently there are over 10,300 children receiving special education services (2020 data). To support programs offering preschool special education services, the Early Childhood Special Education unit provides technical assistance and professional development to practitioners across the state.
Early Childhood Events
Educator ResourcesAdministrator Resources Parent Resources
Preschool Inclusion Task Force
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:
