Special Education

Early Essential Education (EEE)

The Montpelier Essential Early Education Program serves Montpelier children, ages 3 years up to the sixth birthday, who have a developmental delay, medical condition, or other disability defined under state regulations and need special education. Through the EEE Program, these children and their families may receive a range of early intervention services at no cost to the parent, such as assessment, speech/language, occupational and physical therapy, individualized assistance in the classroom, and developmental teaching.

Referrals to EEE come from many community sources, including parents, physicians, visiting nurses, and childcare providers. Twice a year, the EEE Program sponsors a Child Development Information Day, where parents are invited to talk with EEE staff about any developmental concerns they may have about their children and participate in a play observation session in the preschool classrooms.

The Montpelier EEE Program is housed in a new facility with the Family Center of Washington County at 383 Sherwood Drive. Children receiving EEE often attend the Family Center Preschool, where a play-based developmental curriculum and an interdisciplinary teaching team offer opportunities for play with peers and many hands-on activities to build social/emotional, communicative, motor, and pre-academic skills. The Family Center offers many activities for families, including the Montpelier play groups, where EEE staff members are available as well.

Family, Infant and Toddler Program (FITP)

Special education services are available for children and families birth to age 3 who have a developmental delay or a diagnosed physical or mental condition which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay. Special education is responsible for only part of the broad array of early intervention services that are available. These services are coordinated through the Family, Infant and Toddler Program. To make a referral for these services or to find out more about these services, a parent may call the Family Center at 262-3292 or 1-800-270-4231.

Special Education (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act)

Special education for children and youth ages six through twenty-one is specially designed instruction that cannot be provided within the school’s standard instructional conditions or provided through the school’s educational support system, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. It includes individualized school programs with direct services and instruction in the basic skill areas of oral expression, listening comprehension, basic reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, math calculation, math reasoning, written expression, or motor skills. It also may include related services such as transportation or counseling if the service is required for the student to benefit from his/her special education services. For more information about these services, call Jessica Little, Director of Support Services, at 223-6341.