Know your options for the next phase: Life after EarlySteps
What will happen next?
If your child has reached their goals from the IFSP and is back on track, you may not need services.
Your EarlySteps coordinator can help you find support outside of EarlySteps:
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Fun activities for your child to join, like art classes, sports, play groups, or story times
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Childcare or a preschool that fits your child's needs
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Other informal supports
If your child still needs services, you will connect with your local school system.
The school system serves most kids when they start kindergarten at age 5. But if your child qualifies, they can get extra support services starting at age 3.
These can include:
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Services from specialists like you have with EarlySteps: Speech therapy, OT, PT, etc.
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Special preschool programs or extra support in a typical preschool
School Based Services:
After transition, you'll work with your local school system. They are required to help students with disabilities succeed in school
The department in charge of this may be called:
EarlySteps and the services from the school system are similar in many ways, although some of the terms are different.
The main difference is that EarlySteps serves the whole family and includes supports for parents and siblings, while the school system only serves the child.
But in both systems, the parents have a say in the process, and work as part of a team.
Source: LDH, LDOE
Source: LDOE