Early Education

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 6A:14 govern the provision of preschool special education services in New Jersey.

Eligibility for Pre-School Special Education

If you suspect that your child is experiencing delays in his or her physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional and adaptive development before school age, or if your child has received Early Intervention Services, he or she may be eligible for pre-school special education services. To be eligible, your child must be between three and five years of age and have a 33% delay in one of these areas, or a 25% delay in two or more of these areas and be determined eligible for special education and related services.

Referral for Pre-School Special Education Services

The process for referring a student for pre-school special education services is similar to that for school-age students.

If your child has received Early Intervention Services, you should have begun talking about transition to preschool special education with your service coordinator and at your Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting starting when you child was 2-years old. In this case a Transition Planning Conference is usually held, and a representative from your local school district is invited, and the referral process is facilitated collaboratively.

If your child has not been receiving Early Intervention Services, you should ideally contact your local school district 120 days prior to your child’s third birthday, with a written request for an evaluation to initiate the referral process. The school district has 120 days from receipt of your request, to conduct evaluations and implement an IEP, as it does for school age children.

It is never too late to refer your child for preschool special education services to the local school district. You are entitled to make a referral at any time when you child is three to five years of age and not already enrolled in kindergarten. Early referral, however, is always recommended to ensure that your child receives all the services he or she needs if eligible.