Pre-school Special Education is a program established to serve children 3-5 years of age who exhibit Significant Developmental Delay (SDD) in at least one of five developmental areas or who meet eligibility in any of the “categorical” eligibility areas, such as Speech Impaired, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, and/or Orthopedically Impaired.
Pre-school Special Education services are provided through all school systems in Georgia and are free of charge to parents, It is Hall County’s philosophy that early intervention is essential to providing support to children at an early age in order to lessen the impact of entering kindergarten with developmental delays.

Services
Services that may be provided include, but are not limited to: comprehensive evaluation services, direct instruction from preschool special education teacher, speech and/or language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, transportation, direct instruction from a teacher for the visually impaired, direct instruction from a teacher for the hearing impaired, audiological services, referrals to other agencies.

Referrals
Children should be referred to Pre-school Special Education when they appear to show delays in any one of the five areas listed above. According to the revised Georgia rules/regulations the term Significant Developmental Delay does not apply to children who are experiencing a slight or temporary lag in one or more areas of development, or a delay which is primarily due to environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage or lack of experience in age appropriate activities.

Referrals come from many sources including, but not limited to: Babies can’t wait, parents, physicians, daycare providers, pre-k teachers, Head Start, family, friends, teachers of siblings.

For a parent to refer their child to a screener,  please contact the Preschool Special Education Department by phone at 770-534-3939 or 770-534-1080.

The five areas of Significant Developmental Delay are:
–     Personal-Social
–     Adaptive
–     Motor
–     Communication
–     Cognitive