Overview of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Program

What is Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education?

Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education services (EI/ECSE) are provided free to families with eligible infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who have special needs in the areas of speech, language, motor, learning, hearing, vision, self-help and/or socialization.

Who should be referred to the Hood River County EI/ECSE program?

Any child from birth through five years of age showing delays in any of the following areas:

• Cognitive skills: thinking, learning and problem solving skills
• Physical skills: moving body, arms, legs (gross motor), and hands/finders (fine motor) to move around, play, and manipulate objects
• Communication skills: understanding words and concepts and using sounds, gestures, and words to communicate
• Social emotional skills: interacting and playing with family and other children/adults
• Adaptive skills: self-help skills such as eating and putting on clothes

Who is eligible for services?

The eligibility criteria for Early Intervention (0 through 2 years) and Early Childhood Special Education (3 through 5 years) are established by the state. In general, children qualify for these programs when an evaluation shows that their skills are delayed to a certain degree in one or more of the following development areas: cognitive, communication, motor, social emotional and/or adaptive.

Which services are available?

Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education services include a combination of the following as needed by the infants, toddlers, or preschoolers:

• Parent consultation and coaching
• Specially designed instruction
• Physical, occupational and speech and language therapy
• Audiological management
• Orientation and mobility training
• Consultations to children in community preschools