LadyGreyIcedTea t1_j1wzehu wrote on December 28, 2022 at 12:43 AM

How old is your kid? Head Start supports children from birth to 5 years old but if your child is 3 and has special needs, he may qualify for an IEP/public preschool or if he's baby-2 he may qualify for Early Intervention.

peanutbuttercandy8 OP t1_j1wzm41 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 12:45 AM

We had early intervention before we moved. He's turning 4 in a few months and the system is completely foreign to me.

LadyGreyIcedTea t1_j1x0tcr wrote on December 28, 2022 at 12:54 AM

I replied to another one of your comments as well but Pepperell is part of the North Middlesex school district. You should send them, in writing, a note that you and your child's physician are concerned that he has a disability and/or developmental delay. The school has 5 school days from that point to respond. They will send you a consent form for an evaluation for special education services. Once you sign and send back that consent form, they will schedule evaluations and then determine whether or not he qualifies for an IEP/special education services. They have 45 school days to complete the entire process.

When did you move? It kinda sounds like EI dropped the ball. At least in Massachusetts, EI has an obligation to notify the school district in the child's town of a child turning 3 who is aging out of EI and may qualify for services.

peanutbuttercandy8 OP t1_j1x1bku wrote on December 28, 2022 at 12:58 AM

Well our previous EI services were out of state. I moved here last summer and haven't been in contact with any groups out here yet. Thank you for all your comments though. You seem to really know the system.

LadyGreyIcedTea t1_j1x1w9t wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:02 AM

Yeah what I'm saying is EI should have prepared you for this prior to your move. If your kid was 2 1/2 in your previous state, they should have been working on referring him to school there. If he wasn't yet 2 1/2 and they knew you were moving, they should have provided you with his IFSP and advised you on how to establish EI services once you settled in MA and then the new EI here would have handled the school referral.

All of that is a moot point now though since he is already 3 but without services.

peanutbuttercandy8 OP t1_j1x2jjj wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:07 AM

I didn't know that. Guess they really didn't help me set anything up here. Thanks for your advice. I feel much more confident. I'll call his doctor and see if they have a standard evaluation request. If not I'll draft something to send the school.