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jewelsonu

I have an EI question for you.  On Tuesday we had a coordinator come to the house. I was at work and dh doesn't really know and can't answer my questions.  She said 4 months before Ethan turns 3 we can go to a meeting with the school district.  So when he turns 3 we won't have a therapist come to the house?  Is that how it works? What if his speech isn't up to a 3 year old level? Will we have to take him somewhere?  I wish I could have been here to hear what she had to say

TinyPinkBug

When he turns 3, he will age out of the Early Intervention program ran by the county.  At 3, services are then provided by the school district.  Unless he qualifies for program (where he would go to preschool) nothing else would really change.  So, if he still qualifies for speach and only speach, the speach therapist would still come to your house.  You could possibly even keep the same therapist, assuming the agency you ST works for also works with the district.  Basically, the only thing that really changes is where the money is coming from.  Make sure that he gets his IEP meeting with the district BEFORE his third birthday, otherwise service come to a complete stop that dayck ASAP, so make sure you get any paperwork ba.  It is a pretty easy process.  But it does confuse a lot of parents.  I have sat in on dozens of these meetings and there are a lot of parents who believe that the transition means they have to go to the preschool, but that is not the case.  He would have to qualify separately for preschool program services.  Sorry, I am very tired, my thoughts are all over.  It is when he turns 5 and the focus change to academics that everything changes.  At that time, you would have to transport him if he isn't already in school.  And services change.

TinyPinkBug

Or maybe he qualifies for speech.  I should qualify for repeat typo errors

Telyco

Sorry - butting in. We have to start the process in August/Sept for Evan. As far as I know - he can keep all of his therapists if needed. He does have to be evaluated again and I think that it is at their office and not at home this time.

TinyPinkBug

In my county, it is in home for 3 and 4 yr olds.  It may vary.  And yes, you keep the same therapists, provided their agency also works with the school district.  In my area, I think they all do.

wendyj

Hi, sorry to be butting in, too. EI services only go up to the child's 3rd birthday. You would have to refer him to your school district's CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education) to see if he would qualify for services at that level. There's a couple of reasons that you need to do this a few months before he turns 3 - 1) If he qualifies at the CPSE level, you'll want it to be a seamless transition with little to no break in services and 2) If he's eligible at the CPSE level, you have the option of keeping him in EI until January 1 (past his third birthday). Some parents like this option if they're going to be getting less services through CPSE, so they can get as much from EI as possible.

You'll have to go through the evaluation process again, but if it's within a certain period of time, you may not have to go through a full eval again, just testing for certain things, or a review of E's records. It's different in every district and every case. If he does qualify for CPSE, you do have the option of having the therapist come to your home. Services would most likely be outside the home if he was attending a special ed preschool program, like Ty does. You also may be able to keep the same therapist if she is an approved provider for your county at the CPSE level. In my county, because there is a huge payment differential between EI and CPSE, some providers will only do EI and not CPSE, so you'll want to check with your therapist. Also, some prefer to do only EI cases, so if yours is that way, maybe she can give you some suggestions for CPSE providers.

Talk with your coordinator and see if you can schedule a pre-transition conference with your EI coordinator and the CPSE chair for your district so that you can have all of your questions answered. This is a required part of the transition process from EI to CPSE.

It can be a confusing experience, so definitely ask as many questions as possible. I feel so bad when I'm meeting with parents who are going through the transition process - once you think you start understanding EI, you start on a whole new learning curve with CPSE. Hope the people in your district are helpful to you.