Menu Close

(1.89) What are the eligibility criteria for children with disabilities who are three to five years old?

(1.89) What are the eligibility criteria for children with disabilities who are three to five years old?

Eligibility criteria for preschool children are the same as the criteria for school-age children. To be eligible for special education, a child must have one of the following disabilities:

  1. Autism
  2. Deaf-blindness;
  3. Deafness;
  4. Emotional disturbance;
  5. Hearing impairment;
  6. Intellectual disability;
  7. Multiple disabilities;
  8. Orthopedic impairment;
  9. Other health impairment (includes attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder);
  10. Specific learning disability;
  11. Speech or language impairment in one or more of voice, fluency, language, and articulation;
  12. Traumatic brain injury;
  13. Visual impairment; or
  14. Established medical disability.

In addition to meeting the criteria of one or more of the disabilities, a child must need “specially designed instruction or services” to qualify for special education. Also, the child must have needs that cannot be met by modifying the home or school (or both), without ongoing monitoring or support. [Cal. Ed. Code Secs. 56441.11(b)(2) & (3).]