About Early Childhood Special Education

Seattle Public Schools offers special education services for children age 3-5 determined eligible with a disability that impacts educational progress and who are in need of specially designed instruction. Services are provided in communication, motor, adaptive, social and/or cognitive development. Specialized services are available to children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, children with autism and children with assistant technology or nursing needs.

Birth to Three and Child Find Services

Birth to Three: Birth-to-Three Early Intervention Services are administered by developmental centers serving the Seattle area. Please contact the Within Reach Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588 to refer a child for a screening or to learn more about accessing Birth-to-Three Early Intervention services.

Child Find Screening and Referral If you are concerned for a preschooler with a possible delay in development, please contact us. Learn more about Child Find

Other Preschool Students For questions regarding enrolling your typically developing preschooler in our program, please contact the preschool in your neighborhood. Read more about preschool at Seattle Public Schools.

Families Experiencing Homelessness If your family is living in a temporary situation, you may contact our McKinney-Vento Program at 206-252-0660. Read more about McKinney-Vento

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Our programs are designed to offer a continuum of services in an effort to meet a variety of student developmental needs. The following continuum of programs and services are offered:

Therapy Services Only

Students receiving therapy only services can access Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in communication, motor, auditory, or vision skills at the service provider location. Services are delivered individually or small groups in a local school.

Itinerant Teacher Services

Students receiving Itinerant Services have access to Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) addressing mild functional and pre-academic needs 1-2 times per week, in the context of their regular early childhood preschool program. Seattle Public Schools offers itinerant special education services in the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) and Head Start classrooms, as well as in community preschool and child care programs offered within SPS school buildings.

Seattle Preschool Program Plus (SPP Plus)

Students with IEPs participating in Seattle Preschool Program Plus (SPP Plus) receive daily specially designed instruction (SDI) addressing mild to moderate functional and pre-academic needs within the context of a regular early childhood or general education preschool setting.

Students are provided opportunities to participate in high-quality early learning environments with general education curriculum through specially designed instruction at their present level of performance. Instructional content varies based on each student’s IEP. Classes include up to 18 students, 5-7 of whom may receive services under an IEP.

SPP Plus operates Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for a 6 hour and 30-minute school day, with 2-hour early dismissal on Wednesdays only. SPP Plus programs follow the school’s elementary bell schedule. Students must be 3 years old to participate and students who are 4 years old are prioritized for placement in SPP Plus.

Developmental Preschool

Students participating in Developmental Preschool receive daily specially designed instruction (SDI) addressing intensive functional and pre-academic needs within the context of a structured, small-group special education setting.

Students are provided opportunities to participate in high-quality early learning environments with general education curriculum through specially designed instruction at their present level of performance. Instructional content varies based on each student’s IEP. Classes include up to 10 students with IEPs and up to 4 typically developing peer models. Enroll your child as a Developmental Preschool Peer and learn more.

Developmental Preschool operates Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, offering morning and afternoon sessions that are 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Medically Fragile Preschool

Students participating in Medically Fragile Preschool receive daily specially designed instruction (SDI) addressing intensive functional, pre-academic, and medical care needs within the context of a structured, small-group special education setting.

Students are provided opportunities to participate in high-quality early learning environments with general education curriculum through specially designed instruction at their present level of performance. Instructional content varies based on each student’s IEP. Classes include up to 6 students with IEPs and up to 4 typically developing peer models.

Medically Fragile Preschool operates Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, offering sessions that are 2 hours and 40 minutes.

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Experimental Education Unit (EEU)

Seattle Public Schools contracts with the Experimental Education Unit (EEU) at University of Washington for a limited number of special education slots to provide SPP Plus Preschool and Kindergarten Special Education Services.

School Choice Process for Experimental Education Unit (EEU)

Families applying for the EEU Kindergarten program should follow the general School Choice process and timeline. Applications are accepted via the Source. Those submitted by Jan. 31 receive tiebreaker consideration; late applications are accepted through March 31 but are not eligible for tiebreakers.

For the EEU PreK program, students must be at least 3 years old by May 31, 2026 to be eligible, and priority will be given to students with a current IEP. Families applying for the EEU PreK program follow a separate process and timeline. The online application form will be available on the School Choice webpage. Applications submitted between Jan. 5-31 will receive priority consideration and eligible for tiebreakers; late applications are accepted through May 31 but are not eligible for tiebreakers. Results will be available in the first week of June.

For questions about the application process, contact the Enrollment Team.