Early Intervention
and
Early Childhood Special Education
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Early Intervention and Early Childhood
Special Education (EI/ECSE)
EI/ECSE programs provide specialized
educational services to children from birth to
5 years of age and their families.
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“Seamless” System
Early intervention and early childhood special
education function as a “seamless” program in
Oregon for eligible children from birth until they
enter kindergarten at 5 years of age. A seamless
system minimizes unnecessary transitions for
children and families
and maximizes the
use of resources. The
federal government
complimented Oregon
on our seamless
EI/ECSE system.
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In EI/ECSE Oregon serves only children with
identified disabilities and/or significant delays
and children who are born with a condition that is
likely to result in a developmental delay. It is
considered among the states with the most
restrictive eligibility definitions.
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Eligibility Categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hearing Impairment (HI or DHH)*
Visual Impairment (VI)*
Communication Disorder (CD)
Emotional Disturbance (ED)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism)*
Orthopedic Impairment (OI)* such as cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)*
Other Health Impairment (OHI)
Specific Learning Disability (LD)
Deaf/Blindness (DB)*
Intellectual Disability
Developmentally Delayed Early Intervention (DD)*
•Conditions likely to cause delays
•documented developmental delays
• Developmentally Delayed Early Childhood Special Education (DD)
The eligibilities for both EI and ECSE are indicated with an *
The eligibilities for ECSE only have no *
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Since 1992-93 EI and ECSE have been
mandated by law in Oregon
•According to federal and state laws, all eligible children
are entitled to receive the necessary special education
services to enable them to make adequate progress.
•Programs are not allowed to have wait lists and
services must be provided to meet legal timelines.
•Parents have legal due process rights and options.
(Refer to Procedural Safeguard pamphlet for details.)
•The EI/ECSE programs and the Oregon Department of
Education are vulnerable to law suits if they do not
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meet these requirements.
The EI/ECSE program is required to use
“highly qualified” professionals to deliver
services. These professionals also have an
expertise with young children:
• Early Childhood Special
Educators
• Early Interventionists
• Speech-Language
Pathologists
• Occupational
Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Autism Specialists
• Behavior Specialists
• Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Specialists
• Vision Specialists
• Interpreters
• Evaluators
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EI/ECSE Programs
How we serve children
Home visits
Parent training
Parent-Toddler
classes
Skill groups
Community
consultation
Speech-language
classes
Specialized
preschools
Reverse mainstreamed
preschools
Community
preschools
Service Coordination
Specialized equipment
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Services are integrated with other
services to maximize effectiveness
and efficiencies.
Services are individualized based on the identified needs
of the child.
Services are in the least restrictive environment, with
typical peers and natural settings to the extent possible.
Services are integrated in a manner to best serve the whole
child and family and avoid fragmentation of services and
communication.
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Community Collaboration
EI/ECSE programs work in close collaboration
with other community programs and agencies
including formal interagency agreements with
some agencies:
• Head Start Oregon Prekindergarten, Early Head
Start
• Relief Nurseries
• Public Health: CaCoon, Babies First, Healthy
Start, Nurse Family Partnerships
• Developmental Disabilities
• Mental Health agencies
• Child Care Resource and Referral agencies
• Department of Human Services / Child Welfare
• Local Commission on Children and Families
• Other state and local programs.
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EI/ECSE Programs
Referral Process
Do you have a concern about a child’s development?
• Who can make the referral?
Anyone
• How do you make a referral? Call or written referral form
• Observation and developmental screening as
appropriate.
• If the information gathered indicates possible delays or
problems a comprehensive evaluation is completed.
• Eligibility is determined
• Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed which
identifies needs, goals and services.
• Placement is made which defines where services will be
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provided.
Who refers children to EI/ECSE
Programs?
Anyone who suspects a birth to five year old child has a
delay or disability can refer to an EI/ECSE program.
The largest percentage of referrals come from:
parents
physicians
child care providers
Head Start/OKP/EHS
DHS/Child Welfare
others
•
Private therapies and services are few or non- existent
for young children with special needs in communities
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throughout Oregon.
EI/ECSE Programs are provided in EVERY County
in Oregon through a regional system of 9 regions.
On June 1, 2012 – 12,049 eligible children
were being served in Oregon’s EI/ECSE
programs.
In one month, for example between May 1,
2012 and June 1, 2012 , 1340 children were
referred to EI/ECSE programs.
Growth statewide has averaged 3.2% a year
over the past 5 years.
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Caseload Growth for Children Receiving EI/ECSE
Services
in Oregon from September 2004 to June 2012
13000
12000
'11-'12
'10-'11
'09-'10
'08-'09
'07-'08
'06-'07
'05-'06
'04-'05
11000
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec*
Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
August
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EI/ECSE Funding:
Funding levels have not kept
pace with growth in the
numbers of eligible children
and service costs.
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Service levels have declined
From 2004-2010
EI
57% decline
ECSE
34% decline
Source: Statewide samples of monthly service levels from
2004, 2007 and 2010.
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EI/ECSE programs report on outcomes
annually on the progress and status of
children in the following areas
Positive social-emotional skills, including social
relationships;
Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills, including
early language development and early literacy;
Use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs.
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For each of these 3 areas the following must
be reported:
The percent of children who substantially
increased their rate of growth by the time they
exited the EI/ECSE program.
and
The percent of children who were functioning
within age expectations in each outcome by the
time they exited the EI/ECSE program.
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Children who received EI / ECSE are
ready for school
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Many enter kindergarten needing fewer
services.
Most are placed in a
regular kindergarten
class with minimal
to moderate supports.
Some need no
special education
services.
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Children who need special education services
in kindergarten are assisted with a smooth
transition to school.
The transition process begins the year before
kindergarten.
Children start school on the first day with goals,
identified effective teaching strategies, adaptive
equipment and services in place.
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Governance
ODE is the local education agency (LEA) for EI/ECSE.
ODE is advised by The State Interagency Coordinating
Council (SICC).
ODE contracts with 9 ESDs to provide EI/ECSE services.
Many of the 9 ESDs subcontract with other local entities to
provide services. (These are most often county level and
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.)
Each local and/or regional contractor or subcontractor is
advised by a Local Interagency Coordinating Council
(LICC).
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The SICC
State Interagency Coordinating Council
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The SICC is required in federal and state statute.
Members are appointed by the Governor.
Members include:
-at least 20% parents of children who receive or
have received EI/ECSE,
-at least 20% public or private providers of
EI/ECSE services,
-the Department of Education and 14 other agencies
and programs that also service children with
Developmental delays and/or disabilities and
their families. (see handout with the complete list)
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The SICC shall:
+Advise the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State
Board of Education on unmet needs in EI/ECSE programs,
review and comment publicly on any proposed rules,
distribution of funds and assist the state in developing and
reporting data on and evaluations of the programs and
services.
+Advise and assist the represented public agencies regarding
the services and programs they provide to preschool children
with disabilities and their families on proposed rules, policies,
distribution of funds, and assist each agency in developing
services that reflect the overall goals for the target population
as adopted by the council.
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+Advise and assist the Department of Education and other
state agencies in the development and implementation of the
policies that constitute the statewide system.
+Assist all appropriate public agencies in achieving the full
participation, coordination and cooperation for implementation
of a statewide system. Includes but is not limited to:
-Seeking information from service providers, service
coordinators, parents and others about any federal,
state or local policies that impede timely service
delivery; and
-Taking steps to ensure that any policy problems
identified are resolved.
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+Advise and assist the Department of Education in identifying
the sources of fiscal and other support for preschool services,
assigning financial responsibility to the appropriate agencies
and ensuring that the provisions of interagency agreements are
carried out.
+Review and comment on each agency’s services and policies
regarding services for preschool children with disabilities, or
preschool children who are at risk of developing disabling
conditions, and their families to the maximum extent possible to
as- sure cost-effective and efficient use of resources.
+To the extent appropriate, assist the Department of Education
in the resolution of disputes.
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+Advise and assist the Department of Education regarding the
transition of preschool children with disabilities.
+Advise and assist the Department of Education in the
preparation of applications and amendments thereto.
+Prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and
to the United States Secretary of Education on the status of
early intervention programs operated within this state.
+The council may advise appropriate agencies about
integration of services for preschool children with disabilities
and at-risk preschool children.
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LICC – Local Interagency Coordination Councils
ORS 343.507 and OAR 581-015-0930
Each contractor for EI/ECSE services shall assist in the
development of an LICC in every county.
Membership of LICCs is defined in statutes and is
similar to the membership of the SICC with local
Representation. It includes 20% parents, 20% providers
of services, representatives of public agencies that
serve children with disabilities, local school districts,
non- profits and private providers.
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Role of Local Interagency Coordinating Council
Advise and Assist:
•Identification of service needs;
•Coordination of services with other agency services;
•Procedures for resolving local disputes; and
•Development of local interagency agreements.
The recommendations from each LICC shall be used when
the contractor and subcontractor writes their annual service
area plan.
LICC shall collaborate with other agencies and programs in
planning and implementing services for young children and
their families in the local community.
The needs of children with developmental
delays and disabilities and their families
are often invisible.
The SICC and LICCs have always played a
critical role in promoting these services.
Big Vision and Hope for the Future
When all children from birth to school age have access to
high quality early learning environments and when all
parents have access to high quality parenting supports;
EI/ECSE services will be able to use their expertise to focus
on ensuring that children with developmental delays and
disabilities can effectively access these environments and
resources and help each child and parent derive benefit
from them. EI/ECSE will be able to provide the specialized
instruction, adaptations, modifications and teaching
methods and supports to assist in achieving full inclusion
and full benefit.
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