title: Securing services for handicapped children below age five through early childhood direction centers.
abstract: Several years ago, the New York State Education Department, through its Office for Education of Children with Handicapping Conditions, initiated a network of Early Childhood Direction Centers to serve handicapped children below the age of five years, their parents, and the professionals who provide services to this population. Stimulated by observation of demonstration projects funded nationally by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (BEH) of the United States Office of Education, the purpose of the New York State Early Childhood Direction Center Network is to assist parents and professionals in matching the individual needs of young handicapped children to services within their regions. Parents or guardians of these children, local school districts, hospital programs, and other agencies can all request assistance from the direction centers in matching handicapped children from birth to five years to services. Direction centers, upon parental consent, report children identified as handicapped to local committees on the handicapped to assist school districts in keeping accurate census records and planning for programs. Direction centers also refer parents and professionals who require training to the state network of Special Education Training and Resource Centers (SETRC). In this way, resources supporting both the direction center and SETRC networks are used to their fullest extent. Direction centers are also a vital source of information about local services and special education for young handicapped children.
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004519:Education, Special; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007603:Jurisprudence; D009518:New York; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States