Screening & Evaluation Process

Learning Steps Preschool would love to be a part of your child’s early education. We are a special needs preschool with classrooms in Liberty Union, Fairfield Union, Bloom Carroll, and Walnut Township schools. Our classrooms can have a maximum of 8 special needs students and 7 typically developing peers. We also provide special education services to students that attend other preschools, daycares, or stay at home.

Please be aware that not all students are guaranteed a seat in our preschool.

Screening

We screen all of our prospective students to determine if services are needed or if they would be a good typically developing peer role model. During the screening process, the staff may determine that your child displayed a delay in one or more areas of development. A formal evaluation will be scheduled to determine if special education services are needed. Our staff will reach out to you to let you know what areas we would like to evaluate, get your written consent, and make an appointment for the evaluation.

Evaluation

After consent is signed, you will be asked to bring your child in for a formal evaluation. An Evaluation Team Report (ETR) meeting will be scheduled to review the results of the evaluation. During this meeting, the team will explain what assessments were used and if your child was found to have a disability. If it is determined your child has a disability in any area, we will move forward with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and discuss placement options.

Placement

Once the screening and/or evaluation process has been completed, we will let you know enrollment options. You may be offered a classroom seat or itinerant services.

Classroom

Students must attend the school district in which they reside - we do not accept open enrollment.

  • Typically Developing Peer Role Model

    • Once all seats are full, you may be put on a waitlist.

    • Tuition is paid on a monthly basis - more information on our tuition page.

  • Special Education Students

    • IF you are offered a seat in our preschool, you can choose to accept it or attend another preschool. If you attend a preschool within Fairfield County, we will service you as an itinerant student.

    • Tuition is free of charge for all students on an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Itinerant Services

  • Itinerant services are for special education students only.

  • When students attend a preschool, daycare, or stay at home, we provide services in an agreed upon location. This can be at our Educational Service Center, the preschool/daycare where your child attends, or in the home.

  • Itinerant services are for those special education students that require minimal services for them to thrive or parents have chosen to attend a different location.

  • The itinerant teacher and any qualifying therapists will meet with students on a weekly basis at an agreed upon location.

  • Itinerant services are free of charge.