Throughout Wisconsin, options are expanding for young children with disabilities. Professionals working with 3 through 5 year old children with disabilities are finding innovative ways to provide a continuum of service options for these children. The goal is to provide integrated learning activities and environments for young children with disabilities and to provide these experiences in the least restrictive environment.

The search for an expanded continuum of services has been driven by sound educational practice as well as the legal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA addresses least restrictive environment (LRE) in terms of the removal of a child from regular education and has evolved into a practice that is best described as a continuum of service. The need for a continuum of services is further reinforced by the recent educational reform movements associated with America 2000; it's learning readiness goals and by the movement toward developmentally appropriate practices.

These movements recognize that all children vary in their backgrounds, abilities and interest. Therefore, when children are grouped together for educational or child care purposes, their classroom is diverse with a wide range of skills and needs. For such a diverse group to benefit the curriculum must be developmentally individualized for each child. The continuum of service options is designed to provide an educational experience relevant to the children's differences while providing each child and teacher with the resources and supports needed to make the placement successful. In early childhood special education this continuum of service may vary from a self-contained class that shares time with a kindergarten program to the provision of special education services through an itinerant model in the child's regular day care center or Head Start program.

Visit Wisconsin DPI Web Site for more information.