Most children enter preschool having had some screening. Sometimes screening happens during an event called Child Find. Child Find is a time where children entering preschool are screened in various ways. Some screenings involve hearing, vision and dental health. Others may be developmental, focusing on growth, vocabulary, fine and gross motor skills and some academic skills such as counting and identifying letters of the alphabet. Preschool teachers continue to observe, screen and assess children throughout the school year, discuss the results with parents and, when necessary, make referrals for further evaluation and services.
Inclusive preschool programs meet the needs of all children in the classroom. When a child has been referred for further evaluation, and it is determined that an outside agency will provide services, the preferred environment is for the services to take place in the child's classroom. This is called the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The IDEA defines LRE in the following way: To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Once the evaluation takes place, there is a discussion among teachers, parents and the professionals involved in providing the services deemed necessary to best support the child's learning. This Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will work together to create a plan, an IEP, that describes the education program designed to meet the child's needs. Areas that are addressed include the child's current performance, goals and the types and frequency of services to be provided. Parents are an important part of this plan.