Educational Services For Children By Age
Parental rights and responsibilities are based on federal law
that was first enacted in 1975. PL 94-142 was the landmark civil
rights legislation passed by Congress in 1975 that stated that
all children, including children with disabilities, are entitled
to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This legislation
was titled the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA).
It has since been renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) and encompasses services to children ages birth to
20.
In 1997, Congress reauthorized the IDEA, which serves as the
foundation upon which Maine's Department of Education Special
Education Regulations (MSER) are based (both Chapters 101 and
180 ). The MSER reflect federal law by providing one set of regulations
that govern services for preschool children ages birth through
5 (Chapter 180 Regulations) and a separate set of regulations
that govern special education services for school-age children
ages 5 to 20 (Chapter 101 Regulations).
Early Intervention Services are designed to address the developmental
needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth through
2. For children who continue to be eligible, these services may
be followed by Special Education and Related Services for children
ages 3 tthrough 5. The agency responsible for providing these
services for eligible children in Maine is known as Child Development
Services (CDS) through the Maine Department of Education (MDOE).
CDS carries out screenings as part of its Child Find activities
for children birth through five. As soon as a child is referred
to CDS, an Administrative Case Manager is assigned to coordinate
evaluations and assessments. These evaluations and assessments
are done in order to determine eligibility for early intervention
services or free, appropriate public education under Maine Chapter
180 regulations.
You may contact CDS directly to begin the Child Find process
for your child.
FMI: See, Listing of CDS sites, p. 12.6.
 |
For your
own copy of Chapter 101 Regulations call the Maine Department
of Education at (207) 624-6650. For Chapter 180 Regulations
call the Maine Department of Education, Child Development
Services office at (207) 624-6660. |
Doctors and other professionals may also contact CDS with parental
consent. For children ages birth to 2, there is one criteria,
"developmental delay," which is defined on page 35 of
Chapter 180. For children ages 3 to 5, the following eligibiltiy
criteria may be considered by the early childhood team:
- Deafness Traumatic Brain Injury
- Deaf / Blindness Developmental Delay
- Autism Speech/Language Impairment
- Visual Impairment Emotional Disability
- Multiple Disabilities Orthopedic Impairment
- Mental Retardation Specific Learning Disability
- Hearing Impairment Other Health Impairment
Early Childhood Team (ECT)
Once the screening, assessments, and evaluations have been completed,
staff from the local CDS site will convene an Early Childhood
Team (ECT) Meeting to determine eligibility for services. The
ECT is made up of the parent, staff from CDS, and others, such
as evaluators or providers of services who may have information
to share. The purpose of the meeting is to determine your child's
eligibility and to develop an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
If the child is age 3 to 5 years old, the family may choose to
have the team develop an IFSP or an Individual Education Program
(IEP), after the differences between the two have been explained
to the family and you have consented.
FMI: See, IEPs, Chapter 6.
The IFSP has components similar to the IEP for the school-age
child. It includes:
- A statement of the present level of functioning, including
how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate
activities;
- A statement of annual goals (or major outcomes), including
short term objectives;
- Specific early intervention services or special education
and related services and the extent to which the services will
be provided in settings in which children without disabilities
would participate, including the natural environment;
- Projected dates for the initiation of services and the location,
frequency, intensity and anticipated duration of services;
- A statement of any individual modifications in the administration
of state or district assessments;
- A statement of any transition services needed for the child;
- A statement about the family's resources, priorities, and
concerns;
- The name of the Service Coordinator; and
- The other service needs such as medical and social, which
are not required by IDEA.
These statements and specifications will be revisited on a regular
basis to determine if progress is being made, as will criteria
for determining if the goals and objectives have been met and
what transition or other services will be needed. The parent's
signature indicates consent for initial placement and approval
of the IFSP or IEP.
CDS may provide any of the following services to children who
qualify as a result of the Early Childhood Team Meeting which
developed the IFSP or IEP:
- Audiology
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Health Services
- Family Counseling
- Medical Services (for diagnostic purposes only)
- Family Training
- Psychological Services
- Service Coordination
- Social Work Services
- Transportation
- Occupational Therapy
- Assistive Technology Devices and Services
- Developmental Therapy/Special Instruction
Children from birth to 2 may be eligible for two additional
early intervention services:
- Nutrition Services
- Vision Services
Identified services for children eligible, birth through 2,
are provided on the basis of a sliding fee scale. Children eligible
for identified services ages, 3 through 5, must be provided the
services "at no cost" to the parent.
