Although preschool children (ages three to five years) with special needs are served through Individualized Education Plans and supported by the supervisory unions, there is a different avenue of service for children suspected of having disabilities under the age of three years. These children are served by Early Intervention (EI) services, a service supervised by Children’s Integrated Services. EI develops and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) which can include speech, physical and occupational therapies, school readiness support and family case management. When the child turns three years of age, s/he is evaluated for IEP eligibility. If the child is found to be eligible, an IEP is established and the child is then served by supervisory union staff or contractors. In the fiscal year 2017, Early Intervention of Bennington County received 219 referrals. Of those, BCHS served 23 twenty-two. Children with special needs in the SVSU have a strong educational support system in the Early Childhood Program (ECP). The Head Start education and disabilities manager works closely with the SVSU ECP. Annual contracts are developed to ensure that the delivery of special education services is collaborative and best meets the needs of the programs and families. If a child comes to Bennington County Head Start on an IEP or transitioning from an IFSP to an IEP, a transition meeting is held with the parents, Head Start staff, ECP staff and any other staff from agencies that may be involved with the child. As part of Bennington County Head Start’s partnership with ECP, the following resources have been made available to children with disabilities and their families:
Although preschool children (ages three to five years) with special needs are served through Individualized Education Plans and supported by the supervisory unions, there is a different avenue of service for children suspected of having disabilities under the age of three years. These children are served by Early Intervention (EI) services, a service supervised by Children’s Integrated Services. EI develops and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) which can include speech, physical and occupational therapies, school readiness support and family case management. When the child turns three years of age, s/he is evaluated for IEP eligibility. If the child is found to be eligible, an IEP is established and the child is then served by supervisory union staff or contractors. In the fiscal year 2017, Early Intervention of Bennington County received 219 referrals. Of those, BCHS served 23 twenty-two. Children with special needs in the SVSU have a strong educational support system in the Early Childhood Program (ECP). The Head Start education and disabilities manager works closely with the SVSU ECP. Annual contracts are developed to ensure that the delivery of special education services is collaborative and best meets the needs of the programs and families. If a child comes to Bennington County Head Start on an IEP or transitioning from an IFSP to an IEP, a transition meeting is held with the parents, Head Start staff, ECP staff and any other staff from agencies that may be involved with the child. As part of Bennington County Head Start’s partnership with ECP, the following resources have been made available to children with disabilities and their families: