Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children

Massachusetts is working hard to meet the needs of preschool age children who have special education needs. The goal is inclusion: preparing all children for success in school no matter what challenges or disabilities they have. Ongoing efforts in this area and an upcoming conference are fueling real progress for children.

For parents, trying to find the right services and programs for children with special needs can be daunting. Some help came in 2015, when the federal government issued guidelines about how high-quality programs can be more inclusive.

“States, school districts, local organizations, communities and families must work together so that children with disabilities have access to programs that offer individualized and appropriate help in meeting high expectations,” former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said at the time.

In Massachusetts, as part of the “State Systemic Improvement Plan,” officials are committed to improving “social emotional outcomes for preschool children” who have IEPs (Individualized Education Programs).

To do this work, Massachusetts offers families Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services that “are designed for young children (aged 3-5) with disabilities” who are “unable to participate in developmentally appropriate typical preschool activities.”

Thanks to a creative partnership between three state agencies — the departments of Early Education and Care, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Public Health — state officials have identified three strategic areas to focus on:

• enhancing family engagement so that parents can be active partners in their children’s education

• improving children’s transitions from early intervention programs to pre-K and from pre-K to kindergarten, and

• improving instruction to boost children’s knowledge, their social-emotional skills, and their use of appropriate behavior to meet their own needs

Because professional development is also essential, early educators will attend a local conference — “Building Inclusive Communities” — that’s sponsored by the Departments of Early Education and Care (EEC) and Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

This one-day event on October 29, 2018, will feature Rich Villa and Dr. Jacque Thousand, who are national experts on inclusion in education. They’ll talk about:

• regulations, polices, and best practices

• access, participation, and supports for children with and without disabilities

• leadership strategies for engaging families, and

• how to assess inclusion efforts

For more information about the conference, contact Chris Pond at EEC or Lauren Viviani at DESE.

Early educators will also find tools and resources on the Mass.gov webpage that include information on transitions, assessment, and homelessness. And there’s also a Mass.gov webpage for families.

Massachusetts’ focus on young children with special needs could produce substantial benefits by helping these children prepare to be successful in school and life.