Early Childhood Special Education Program
The Early Childhood special education program for the Providence School Department provides and oversees services for children ages 3 to 5 who experience developmental delays or other disabilities. The Early Childhood program has five main functions:

1. Collaborate with early intervention to transition children from infant services to school district special education services as mandated under IDEA

2. Maintain ChildFind activities as mandated under IDEA

3. Assess children for eligibility for special education and related services

4. Provide a continuum of educational placements for preschool students based on the students ’ least restrictive environment

5. Design and implement special education services (IEP) for preschool students

The services include:

* Educational services
* Speech and language services
* Physical therapy services
* Occupational therapy services
* Adaptive physical education services
* Vision services

In order to be eligible for any of these services, your child must be referred to the Office of Special Populations, be evaluated and must qualify for service as per RI regulations.

When determining the level of service, we must look at the strengths and needs of the child and serve the child in the least restrictive environment, or as close to the natural pre-kindergarten setting as possible.

All of Providence Public Schools pre-kindergarten classes align there activities with the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards.

Integrated Pre-Kindergarten Peer Recruitment:
Providence Public Schools recruits typical peer models for its English and Bilingual Inclusion classes.  There are two types of programming for Inclusion– Full Day and Half Day. The ratio of children with disabilities and the children who do not have disabilities is 7:8.  In order to be selected as a peer model for the inclusion program, a child must complete and be considered age appropriate in the following areas:

* Developmental
* Speech and Language
* Hearing
* Vision
* Social/Emotional Development

After the screening is completed, if the child’s results are age appropriate the parent is given an application. Parents can choose their first 2 choices of where they would like their child to attend.  A lottery is conducted at the end of June in order to place the children.  Due to the limited nature of the program, every child does not always get into their first or second choice.  These classes are currently located in six of our elementary schools in the district – Pleasant View, Leviton Annex, West Broadway, Vartan Gregorian, Martin Luther King, and Carl Lauro.

In order to schedule a screening appointment, parents should call Mindy Mertz at (401) 456-9132.