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Services for Preschool Children
Act 212, the Early Intervention Services Act, entitles all preschool children with disabilities to appropriate early intervention services. Young children experiencing developmental delays or physical or mental disabilities and their families are eligible for early intervention services. At-risk children are eligible for screening and tracking.Children age three through the age of admission to first grade are entitled to Special Education and related services. Developmental delay is defined when a child who is less than the age of beginners and at least three years of age and is considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists: (1) the child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25% of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas, or (2) The child is delayed in one or more of the developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests. Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self-help.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is responsible for providing services to preschool children ages three through five. For information, contact Project DART at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120, 412-394-5700.