Date: Fri 04-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-early-intervention

Full Text:

Early Intervention Programs To Help Children With Disabilities

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Watching a healthy child develop from infancy to school age, keeping a record

in that new baby book of important milestones such as the first step or the

first word - these are experiences that most parents look forward to and

remember with pleasure.

As the child grows, there are certain markers that parents and pediatricians

recognize as signs of normal development: walking by a year; talking by 16

months; being toilet trained between the ages of 3 and 4.

Nearing school age, a child should show certain signs of readiness for

learning: being able to sit still while a story is being read; completing a

simple puzzle; playing cooperatively with other children.

"If a two-year-old still isn't saying `bye-bye' to its mother, we worry," said

Alice Ridgeway, regional manager of the state Department of Mental Retardation

(DMR), speaking March 26 from her office in Waterbury.

Parents and professionals must get together to help that child, Ms Ridgeway

said, and there are federal laws in place to expedite the process.

`Birth To Three' Program

The DMR serves as the lead agency for the Individuals with Disability

Education Act or IDEA, Ms Ridgeway said, adding that Connecticut contains six

regional IDEA centers.

Newtown children would be served within the northwest region.

IDEA contains many programs, two parts of which are targeted at children from

birth to age 3 (Part H), and from age 3 to age 21 (Part B).

(From a historical perspective, the blanket federal IDEA law has several tiers

relating to various types of special education services, Ms Ridgeway

explained. The birth to three segment was simply added at a later time, hence

the letter H.)

The Birth To Three program has a professional staff trained to confer with the

family, review pediatricians' records, and, if necessary, see that a child is

tested and a diagnosis made. Then, appropriate help may be provided under the

IDEA umbrella.

When the child reaches the age of three, however, the state steps aside and

local school systems take over.

Schools Take Over

If there has been a significant delay that might impact educational

development, the IDEA act says that a child is entitled to educational

intervention. Beyond age three, an individualized program must be administered

by the local school system.

"Under the Free and Appropriate Public Education act, school districts are

obligated to provide for kids with disabilities," said Maria Synodi, manager

of the IDEA Part B program in Middletown.

"This basically means, the child doesn't have to stay home and learn in a

segregated setting," she added.

Not only must school systems provide special educational programs, they are

also obligated to seek out and identify children within the community who may

be in need of help, she said, adding that outreach programs to raise public

awareness or basic screening clinics held at the public libraries are two ways

of doing this.

`Probe' Program

For nearly two decades, the Newtown school system has been running its own

early intervention program for children between the ages of three and five,

known as Probe.

The free program is designed to help pre-schoolers who suffer from a variety

of cognitive, language, gross motor, personal/social or self-help difficulties

and provides transportation to and from the Probe facility at Sandy Hook

School.

In order to be accepted, a child must be evaluated by the school system's

special education department under the direction of Pupil Personnel Services

Director Robert Chiappetta.

A PPT (Planning and Placement Team) referral meeting would be held, followed

by another PPT meeting, during which an evaluation would be made with

recommendation for services to follow, if needed.

During the current school year, the Probe program has 16 children enrolled, 12

with special needs and four who are, in the words of Probe physical therapist

Kathleen Stowell, "typically developing four-year-olds."

"We try to create a setting where all the children can thrive with support

added, where there are special needs," Mrs Stowell said.

The Probe staff includes two full-time teachers and four assistants, as well

as part-time service from a speech pathologist, school psychologist, physical

therapist and occupational therapist.

Eligibility Varies

Early intervention is geared toward helping children in many circumstances,

yet there are instances when service may be temporarily interrupted.

For example, if a family moves into a new school district while a child is

already enrolled in another district's special education program, the

transition is not always seamless.

"You've got 169 towns each with slightly different eligibility criteria," said

Alice Ridgeway of the DMR.

If there has been a divorce and there are also issues of custody and legal

residency to be considered, the transfer may become even more complicated.

"The issue becomes, where does the child legally reside, and what school

district will be responsible for that child," Ms Ridgeway added.

In other words, how will be services be paid for.

Even under less complicated circumstances, special education departments

frequently need time to process a transfer, with an exchange of records taking

place in advance.

"If possible, we like to have six months notice," said Mr Chiappetta, director

of Pupil Personnel Services.

Single Parent Seeks Help

Steve Boudreau, recently divorced, moved into Newtown from Easton last fall.

His former wife lives in Bridgeport, and the couple currently has joint

custody of their two daughters.

Before the move, Bianca Boudreau, 4, who suffers a speech/language delay, had

been found eligible for early intervention in the Easton school system. A PPT

had already been convened and services outlined.

After Mr Boudreau moved into Newtown in October, there was a four-month period

during which Bianca's services were interrupted. In his opinion, important

time was lost and Newtown's special education department did not respond

quickly enough. He has, in fact, filed a formal complaint with the state

Department of Education's Middletown office.

But Newtown Superintendent of Schools John Reed has noted that there were "a

lot of issues" surrounding Mr Boudreau's claim that needed to be resolved.

"It becomes complicated when there is shared custody," Dr Reed commented.

Once proof of custody had been provided, a PPT was held March 17 for Bianca by

the Newtown special education staff, and Mr Boudreau reported the following

day that "the meeting was cordial."

"Mr Chiappetta seemed knowledgeable and attentive," he said, adding, however,

he wished it could have taken place five months earlier.

Bianca's second PPT has been scheduled for early April, when she will be

evaluated again in a different setting. Following that, Mr Boudreau said Mr

Chiappetta and the Newtown special education staff would "chart a course" for

her future needs.