Early Childhood Program / Preschool
Buford City Schools Special Education Department is responsible for locating, identifying, and evaluating any children with known or suspected disabilities who reside within the school district’s boundaries in order to provide free appropriate Special Education services.
When should a child be referred?
A child should be referred when:
- A health or medical disorder interferes with development and/or learning
- The child seems to have difficulty with hearing or vision
- The child appears to have social, emotional or behavioral difficulties that interfere with his/her ability to learn
- The child appears to have difficulty understanding directions compared to others of the same age
- The child’s speech is not understandable to family or friends
- The child appears to have motor impairments that affect their educational progression
What is Special Education?
Special Education is instruction designed to meet the unique learning strengths and needs of individual students with disabilities from ages three through twenty-one. A child must be evaluated and identified as having a disability to be eligible for Special education and/or related services. Disability categories include:
- Speech/language Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Significant Developmental Delay
- Emotional/Behavioral Disorder
- Visual Impairment
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- Deaf/Blind
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Other Health Impairment
How can children be referred?
Children can be referred through a pediatrician, a childcare facility, directly from parent, etc. A comprehensive developmental evaluation will be scheduled that will consist of assessment in the areas of Cognition, Motor skills, Social skills, Adaptive skills, and Communication skills. To begin the evaluation process, you must first register your child with Buford City Schools. To do this, click on the registration link and follow the instructions. Once the Parent Referral Questionnaire (Spanish) and the completed General Education Teacher Input Form are submitted via email [email protected] fax, or mail, a representative from Student Services will reach out and schedule the evaluation. Depending on the time of the year and the volume of students being seen, it may take 7 - 10 school days for contact to be made.
Children can be referred through a pediatrician, a childcare facility, directly from parent, etc. A comprehensive developmental evaluation will be scheduled that will consist of assessment in the areas of Cognition, Motor skills, Social skills, Adaptive skills, and Communication skills. To begin the evaluation process, you must first register your child with Buford City Schools. To do this, click on the registration link and follow the instructions. Once the Parent Referral Questionnaire (Spanish) and the completed General Education Teacher Input Form are submitted via email [email protected] fax, or mail, a representative from Student Services will reach out and schedule the evaluation. Depending on the time of the year and the volume of students being seen, it may take 7 - 10 school days for contact to be made.
If my child qualifies for services, where are the services offered?
- In your child’s current preschool or day care center
- In a classroom housed within Buford City Schools