Solano County Office of Education - Special Education Preschool Program

Special Education Preschool Program

The Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) preschool classes provide specialized instruction for children from 3 to 5 years of age who have developmental delays in cognitive, motor, language, social, and/or adaptive skills.

SERVICES

The Individualized Educational Program (IEP) provides services designed to meet the specific educational needs of each child. These services are provided through Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The curriculum follows the California Learning Foundations Standards. Specific teaching and behavioral strategies, communication methods, and guided practice are used to enable preschoolers with special needs to learn new skills and become more independent.

RELATED SERVICES MAY INCLUDE

- Speech Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Behavior Services
- Nursing Services

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

SCOE special education preschool programs are designed to provide rich and meaningful educational experiences based on play that will enhance children’s social skills, self-esteem, and overall growth and development. We believe that children develop to their maximum potential when we work in partnership with their families. We provide support and guidance to assist families in enhancing their parent-child relationship. In addition to providing specialized instruction to children with special needs, we also provide opportunities for integration with typically developing peers.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Our special education preschool programs collaborate with other agencies to offer the best possible curriculum to our students.

Inter-agency collaboration occurs with the following:

- North Bay Regional Center (NBRC)
- California Children’s Services (CCS)
- Matrix Parent Network & Resource Center
- Easter Seals
- First 5 California
- Local School Districts
- Private and Community Preschools
- Child Start, Inc.

ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for a special education preschool, a child (3-5 years) must meet eligibility criteria in one of the following categories:

Autism
Deaf-blindness
Deafness
Emotional disturbance
Established medical disability*
Hearing impairment
Intellectual disability
Multiple disabilities
Orthopedic impairment
Other health impairment (includes attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD))
Specific learning disability
Speech or language impairment in one or more of voice, fluency, language, and articulation
Traumatic brain injury
Visual impairment

All of these conditions except 5 are defined in 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 300.7, and discussed in 5 California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 3030.

*An “established medical disability” is defined in California Education Code (CEC) Section 46441.11(d) as a disabling medical condition or congenital syndrome that the IEP team determines has a high predictability of requiring special education and services.

REFERRAL PROCESS

Children can be referred to special education services by a parent, medical personnel, school staff, or agencies serving the family when there is concern about a child’s development. Children are evaluated through their local school district to determine their eligibility for preschool special education services.

A parent should contact their school district of residence (see below) to refer their child for an evaluation.

Benicia Unified School District
707-747-8300, ext. 1240

Dixon Unified School District
707-678-4061

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District
707-422-0122

Travis Unified School District
707-437-8115

Vacaville Unified School District
707- 453-7207