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Preschool Education Evaluation Program

Parent Handbook

Children from three to five years old may be referred to the Preschool Educational Evaluation Program (PEEP) for screening, evaluation, and possible educational placement in an Exceptional Student Education program. Referrals to PEEP may be made by parents, agencies, or physicians.

PEEP screening/evaluations are held weekly to assess children’s hearing, vision, communication, motor skills, and general development. The purpose of the screening is to obtain a general sample of the child’s skills and behavior to determine if further evaluation is needed. A comprehensive evaluation may be needed to determine any areas of disability and eligibility for an Exceptional Student Education program.

Children birth to three are provided services at the Early Steps Developmental Center in Orlando or in their home, depending on the severity of the disability and the individual need.  Contact the Developmental Center at 407- 317-7430.

Educational services are provided for children ages three to five who are identified as speech/language impaired, hearing impaired, visually impaired, dual sensory impaired, physically impaired, intellectually disabled, autistic, or developmentally delayed. Full-time educational services are provided five days per week at a centrally located school. Related services may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision services, and/or speech/language therapy. Children with speech/language impairments may be eligible for part-time or full-time services.

The emphasis of the preschool program for children with disabilities is the development of cognitive, language, motor, social/emotional, and self-help skills in an educationally enriched environment.

Referrals may be made by contacting the PEEP office at 1200 Vermont Ave, St. Cloud at 407-891-1178.