CPSE Recommendations and the Individual Education Program (IEP)

If your child is found to have a disability, as the result of multidisciplinary evaluations, that may be affecting his or her learning, the CPSE will find your child to be an eligible "preschool student with a disability." The CPSE will also recommend the program or services to meet your child's individual needs and where they will be provided.

If your child is an eligible preschool student with a disability, you and the other CPSE members will write an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child that will list the recommended services to be provided, how often, and for how long. The recommendations will be forwarded to your local school district's Board of Education for approval.

Most children with disabilities can receive the special education services they need in settings with their nondisabled peers. They also should participate in developmentally appropriate activities. The CPSE must consider how to provide the services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), where your child can learn close to your home with other children of the same age who do no have disabilities. Services may be provided at an approved or licensed pre-kindergarten or Head Start program, the work-site of a provider, the student's home, a hospital, a State facility or a child care location.