The Lawson R-XIV School District offers children ages 3-5 with developmental delays the chance to reach their potential in the important early years of childhood, giving them a jump-start on the rest of their education.
Funded by the state of Missouri, the Early Childhood Special Education program is a no-cost program for families of eligible children who are three to five years old. The state defines eligibility, and the Lawson R-XIV School District provides special education services including but not limited to: early childhood special education, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.
In order to be eligible for Early Childhood Special Education , the child’s development must:
be at or below 1.5 standard deviations or equivalent levels, of the mean in any two areas of development, or
at or below 2.0 standard deviations or equivalent levels in one area of development, and
the child must need special education and/or related services
(Areas of development that can be used to determine eligibility include physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional and/or adaptive.
If you have concerns about how your child is progressing, please see our Parents as Teachers program to schedule a developmental screening.
Students will receive services in their least restrictive environment as determined by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. This team includes the parents, early childhood special education teacher, related service providers and a local education agency representative (LEA). Options for services include the following.
Early Childhood Special Education Classroom
Early Childhood Special Education Classroom is located at Southwest Elementary. All students in this classroom are receiving services based on their needs addressed through their Individual Education Plan.
Itinerant Services
Itinerant services are located outside of the special education classroom and are typically by appointment only. For example, receiving speech and language services at designated appointment times. Services needed are based on the IEP team’s recommendation.