Children ages birth to kindergarten entrance who have met state criteria for special education are eligible to receive their special education services through the school district. Children in Inver Grove Heights and South St. Paul between the ages birth to three are served by a team comprised of Early Childhood Special Educators hired by the two districts. These young children most typically receive their services in their home or day care setting – the most natural environment. As a child nears his or her third birthday, a transition meeting is planned to make the transition to school-based services. Services for children, ages three to five years of age, are provided by staff working for the district in which the child lives (i.e. there are separate Early Childhood Special Education services for children in SSP and IGH).

If a child is three years of age by September 1, an inclusive setting is the first consideration when planning to meet the child’s needs in a school-based setting. If the child was not three years of age by September 1, and/or if the child’s needs warrant a smaller, more structured setting, then a center-based program may be the setting in which the child receives his/her services. A child may have needs in just one area (i.e., speech or language), and may receive his/her services from a Speech-Language Pathologist in a speech therapy room. Children who are eligible for a Head Start Program or who attend a day care in the district may receive some or all of their services at Head Start or at the day care, or they may receive their services in a combination of the two programs. Services for all children are individualized.

Areas of developmental delay considered are: cognitive, communication, motor, adaptive, social-emotional, hearing, vision, and/or medical. Concerns in these areas need to be verified through the evaluation process, and eligibility needs to be determined, using the Minnesota state criteria for Early Childhood Special Education.