Early Childhood Special Education
Saint Louis Public Schools is committed to providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Early childhood and elementary special education services are provided for all children with disabilities, in accordance with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Contact Dr. Victoria Leto, Early Childhood Special Education Process Coordinator, at (314) 633-5360, or your child's school counselor if you have concerns about your child's development in any of the following areas:
- cognitive development
- communication development
- physical development
- adaptive development
- social or emotional development
- academic achievement
- sensory development
Your child with a disability should be educated, to the maximum extent appropriate, with children without disabilities. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) must first consider if your child can remain in the general education classroom and achieve his/her IEP goals and objectives with the help of supplementary aids and services. If the team agrees, this will allow your child opportunities to be with peers to the maximum extent possible. SLPS supports children with disabilities in the general education classroom, with the resource or speech/language teacher, in an inclusion room, or in a self-contained classroom with a certified teacher and an instructional care attendant.
Parent Resources:
Understanding the IEP Process, for Parents
Requesting an Initial Evaluation Information and Model Letters
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Blog
10 Procedural Safeguards in IDEA, At a Glance
Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Special Education Website
The Color of Autism Foundation
Don't IEP Alone: A Day in Our Shoes Website
A Day in Our Shoes: IEP Assistance, Support, Parenting & More Facebook Group