Preschool Program for

Children with Disabilities

Presentation by Amy Brondum, Brandy Childress, and Tamiko Brown for EDUC

4763A

Disabled Children Face Many Challenges…• “IDEA” is a set of laws that help make sure education is

available to children of all different challenges.• PPCD is the section of the IDEA laws that makes

preparation for disabled children to enter school.• Therapy, specialized teachers, special equipment and

financial helps are available to families that qualify.

Why intervene in Preschool?

• The goal of Special Education Preschool is to prepare young students to hopefully enter inclusive programs by kindergarten or first grade.

Learning Through Play

Researchers have documented that young children learn best through their natural inclination to play games, sing songs and make pretend. **PPCD advocates this approach.**

Finding Program Candidates

I.E.P.-A formal contract• The first step is to create

and Individualized Education Plan or “IEP” which is an agreement between teachers, schools and parents about the specific needs and goals of each young student.

• An IEP is reviewed every year and is considered a formal contract under the PPCD law. For preschoolers, the goal is to intervene early enough to achieve as much academic success as developmentally possible.

ARD-Admissions, Review, Dismissal Board*Reviews and Develops IEP for Preschoolers Considers aptitude

tests Parent input Teacher

recommendations Health conditions Social/cultural

background Adaptive behavior

*Comprised of Parents, Teachers and School Administrators

Instructional Requirements:*Developed in Texas by State Board of Education and Commissioner of Education

Provides a Monday through Friday program of structured activities to develop:

Social skills Language Emotional skills Cognitive skills Self-help techniques Motor skills

Provides: Transportation Assistive Technology Counseling Physical and Speech

Therapy

PPCD Teachers

• Must be Special Ed. Certified

• “Highly Qualified” under NCLB

• Provide instruction in TEKS that are appropriate

• Provide classroom that improves child’s social and academic behaviors as outlined in IEP.

*Must pass the HOUSSE state exam-High Objective Uniform State Standard Evaluation

*Teachers in the PPCD Program are required to have dedication, love for their students, and to provide in the best way they can for mild to severely challenged students in hopes for the most normalized life as possible.

PPCD Teachers are Special!

PPCD Students are Special Too!

References:• Austin ISD Website. (2011).

http://archive.austinisd.org/academics/specialeduc/ppcd/

• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities website. (2010). http://nichcy.org/schoolage/preschoolers

• Partners Resource Network website. (2009). http://www.partnerstx.org/Resources/IDEA/Disabilities_That_Qualify_Under_IDEA.htm

• Plano ISD website. (n.d). http://k-12.pisd.edu/currinst/sped/ppcd/ppcdintro1.htm

• Texas Project FIRST website. (n.d). http://www.texasprojectfirst.org/PreschoolProg.html