The South Coast ESD’s Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) provides services for children three years to kindergarten age who qualify for services due to developmental delay or categorical disability. Children in ECSE have disabilities that significantly impact their developmental progress. Services provided are based on the unique special education need of each child.

The ECSE program focuses on these things:

• Teaching the child needed skills in areas of developmental delay
• Preparing the child for a school setting (with a focus on social emotional skills and communication readiness) and
• Incorporating intervention strategies into the child’s day

ECSE services are determined by the IFSP team and may include:

• Articulation Groups taught by Speech Language Pathologists
• ECSE Developmental Skills Group (ECSE classrooms) taught by Special Education Teachers with direct classroom support with Speech Language Pathologists and Instructional Assistants
• Consultation to Head Start preschools and other community preschool environments
• Direct instruction/services provided in least restrictive environment when appropriate based upon team placement decision to meet individual child needs (for some, full inclusion in their community preschool or some ECSE services provided in that setting)
  • OREGON EARLYCHILDHOOD INCLUSION-INDICATORS INITIATIVE ANNUAL REPORT
• Cascade Regional Services (specialized support for children with vision, hearing, or orthopedic impairments or autism spectrum disorder or services that may include evaluation , consultation, support in preschools and group settings, and use of equipment)
• Connections to Community Resources

A child’s local resident school district is responsible for transportation to and from an ESD Early Childhood Special Education Developmental Skills Group / Classroom site. Also, the resident school district is responsible to contribute to the cost and administration of evaluations.