If you have a preschool child and you have noticed that your child is not developing skills such as walking, talking or playing like other young children, you may want to talk to your family doctor. He or she may be able to reassure you that children develop at different rates and your child is within normal developmental scales. If, however, you and/or the doctor are concerned with your child's progress, you may wish to make a referral to the district's Committee on Preschool Special Education. Please note that a referral from your doctor is not a requirement. The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE), appointed by the Board of Education, is responsible for arranging evaluations and making recommendations for delivery of service to children ages 3 to 5 who have disabilities.

Members of the committee include:

• Parent(s) of the student
• Regular education teacher of the child whenever the child is or may be participating in the regular education environment
• Special education teacher of the child or, if appropriate, special education provider of the child
• School district representative who is qualified to provide or supervise special education and is knowledgeable about the general curriculum and the availability of preschool special education programs and services and other resources of the school district and the municipality (This person is the Chairperson of the Committee.)
• An individual who understands and can talk about the evaluation results and how these results affect instruction (This person may also be the special education teacher/provider, regular education teacher, school psychologist, school district representative or someone that the school district determines has knowledge or special expertise regarding the student.)
• Parent member (upon request)
• A licensed or certified professional from the Department of Health's Early Intervention Program (for a child in transition from the Early Intervention Program)
• Other people that have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate (as requested by the parent or school district)
• A county representative (A certified or licensed preschool representative from the municipality must be notified of scheduled meetings, however, the CPSE meeting can be held whether or not the municipal representative attends.)

For more information about these services please contact the Office of Preschool Special Education at (585) 249-5733.