Hi- my name is Abby Voss and I teach early childhood special education (ECSE) at Dakota Valley. The links below provide information on services available for young children with special needs in South Dakota. If you have questions or concerns about your young child's development you can contact me at abby.voss@k12.sd.us or 605-422-3840.

 

Early Intervention & Early Childhood Special Education Services
Through Dakota Valley​

 

Children ages birth through five years old living in the DV School District who have a diagnosed disability or significant delay in one or more of the following areas: adaptive skills, personal/social skills, communication skills, motor skills, or cognitive skills, may be eligible for various services through the state and/or school district. ​   

 

Children Ages Birth Through Three Years

Early Intervention:

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Children under the age of three years old are evaluated and serviced through South Dakota’s Birth Through Three Connections Program. Evaluations, meetings, and services (if a child is eligible) are all conducted in the child’s home. If a child qualifies for early intervention services the family, Birth Through Three Connections coordinator, and service providers work together to write an Individualized Family Service Plan, which is a document that outlines the services the child and family will receive. All services provided through the Birth Through Three Connections program are delivered at no cost to the family. If you have concerns about your young child’s development, feel free to e-mail me at abby.voss@k12.sd.us or call me at 605-422-3840 and I can get you in contact with the Birth Through Three Connections coordinator for Union County.
 
The following links provide more information on South Dakota's Birth Through Three Connections Program:
 
Birth to Three Connections
 
Birth to Three Connections Info (Center for Disabilities)
 
Developmental Checklist (Birth through 3)

Children Ages Three Through Five Years

Early Childhood Special Education:​​

 
Dakota Valley has an early childhood special education preschool program for children ages three through five years old with special needs. Each child who attends the preschool program has an Individualzed Education Plan (IEP) that lists his/her strengths, weaknesses, and educational needs. Although the ECSE preschool is structured similarly to a regular preschool, the goal of ECSE is to provide each student with the tools, opportunities, and teaching he/she needs to meet his/her educational goals.
If you feel your child's adaptive, personal/social, communicative, motor, or cognitive development is delayed we can set up a time for him/her to be screened at Dakota Valley. If the screening shows possible delays, it may be recommended that you bring your child back at a later date for a full evaluation. Once the evaluation has been completed, we will meet to discuss the results and, if your child is eligible, talk about special education services. 
 
The following links provide more information on special education and other services in South Dakota:
 
Center for Disabilities 
 
SD Early Childhood Outcomes
 
SD Parent Connection
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Great Resources for All Children Birth Through Five Years:​

 

CDC Learn the Signs Act Early​

 

CDC Early Childhood Developmental Milestones

 

Center for Early Literacy Learning