Enhance Minnesota’s Early Childhood Special Education Services Fact Sheet

Positions

• Add language to statute which clarifies a non-resident’s district’s obligation to provide early childhood special education services when a child with a disability attends pre-school or child care programs in the district. Adopting language similar to that found in the k-12 statutes would address this issue.
• Update Minnesota’s eligibility criteria for early childhood special education services. Currently, Minnesota’s eligibility criterion does not meet federal requirements. Changing the definition to meet the federal requirements should not jeopardize Minnesota’s birth mandate and should provide services to infants who do not need special education services.
• Ensure early identification of infants and toddlers with autism and then implement intensive services as appropriate. Research indicates that when specialized early intervention services are provided to infants with autism or autism spectrum disorders, the need for publicly funded services later in life diminishes.
• Reduce suspensions of pre-schoolers with disabilities from early intervention programs, pre-schools, Head Start programs, and privately funded day care programs. Suspending children in these programs does not lead to changing behaviors and may exacerbate problem behaviors in subsequent school years. Instead of suspending, technical assistance and additional funding should be made available to increase capacity to utilize positive behavior supports within these programs.

Background Information
For years, Minnesota has been a leader in the country in early intervention by requiring that infants with disabilities be provided with early childhood special education services starting at birth, if they are determined eligible for services. Various stake holders agree with this birth mandate because research indicates that providing services early in a child’s life saves public funding later in life. In spite of Minnesota’s success, the early childhood special education system does need some modifications to further improve services.

Reasons to support enhancing Minnesota’s early childhood special education system

• Families and school districts need clarity on which district is financially responsible when children from another district receive services in their district. This clarity has been very helpful in the k-12 system.
• Research shows that investing in early childhood services produces long term benefits to society. Changing the eligibility definition for early childhood special education services should not result in any child who currently receives services to be ineligible in the future. It should also not result in Minnesota altering its commitment to serve infants and toddlers with disabilities shortly after birth.
• The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is increasing. Some professionals choose to withhold diagnosing a child with this condition because of concern for the family. However specialized intervention is most effective when a diagnosis is made early in life.
• It is inconceivable that infants and toddlers are being suspended from various early intervention and preschool programs for negative behavior. Research is very clear on the value of using positive behavior supports and interventions. Specific efforts need to be made to train early childhood and preschool personnel about the use of positive behavior supports and interventions.

This document was prepared using private funding.