Early Childhood Centers
Early Childhood Special Education Center-Based Services (Pre-School and Kindergarten)
Research indicates that children are more likely to succeed in school if they have the necessary social skills to positively interact with their teachers and peers. Yet, for young children with significant behavior challenges, developing these critical skills is extremely difficult. Therefore, programming is designed to help children develop their ability to listen and follow rules, to play and share with others, and to develop coping strategies to manage strong feelings.
How the Program Works
Early Childhood Centers (ECCs) Special Education Center-Based Services (Preschool and Kindergarten) are provided to children from age three through kindergarten with serious behavioral challenges. The program provides short-term educational and therapeutic services to the child and the family. Many children have additional difficulties such as developmental delays, including communication delays, and/or a diagnosis within the mid-severe range of autism spectrum disorders.
Children are assigned to a classroom with their same-age peers where they acquire social skills, address social and emotional needs as well as engage in language and other readiness activities. Weekly theory classes are designed to help parents understand the concepts and philosophies behind the newly acquired techniques they have been incorporating into their daily routines. Programming is aligned with Ohio Department of Education Standards.
Family Services
The ECCs Special Education Center-Based Services encourage that parents or caregivers attend a program where they are taught skills enabling them to help both themselves and their young children. All family members are welcome to attend to ensure consistency between what happens in the classroom and the home. In addition, each family is assigned a case manager who serves as the liaison between the center, the family, the school district, and other community services.
Classrooms & Staffing
Because of the PEP’s heavy emphasis on parent training and support, the program is sustained by both Parent Staff and Professional Staff. Parent staff works with the family and the child to coordinate individualized training sessions. Because parent staff graduated from the program themselves, they can provide firsthand expertise and knowledge of the various challenges the family is facing.
Kindergarten classrooms have no more than ten children, and preschool classrooms typically have eight. Both are staffed with a teacher-counselor (a credentialed special education teacher) and an associate teacher-counselor (a mental health service provider). Both of these professionals hold college degrees. Classrooms are also supported by team associates who function as aides, providing assistance with implementation of the daily integrated program.
Professional staff includes a program coordinator (in a school, this is parallel to the school principal), and a clinical supervisor (in a school, this professional would be known as the school psychologist). Consultative services are available from a speech language pathologist and a nurse. Psychiatric services are also available.
Staff to child ratio is approximately 1:2.
Other Special Education Services
The ECC Parent Involvement Service is designed for preschool or kindergarten special education students whose needs can be met within the district’s classroom options, a community preschool, or other early care and education environment. However, the IEP team identifies the need for the IEP related service, Parent Involvement, which includes individual parent-child training sessions, group and classroom experiences, parent theory classes, and home/community interventions.
The ECC Itinerant Service is for preschool special education students who qualify for itinerant services and for whom social/emotional/behavioral needs are among the student’s IEP goals.
Accessing Services
The program is offered at ECC-East.
April Shepherd
Clinical Associate
Early Childhood Center – East
1340 Professor Road
South Euclid, Ohio 44124
440-573-2024
440-573-2033 (fax)
ashepherd@pepcleve.org