The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities recently featured ASAH Member School North Jersey Elks Developmental Disabilities Agency (NJEDDA) in a recent People and Families Magazine cover article about transition from Early Intervention Services to Preschool for children with disabilities.
The article describes the challenges families face as they move from the EI system, which is regulated under Part C of IDEA and housed in the NJ Department of Health, to special education services, which operate under Part B of IDEA and are housed in the Department of Education.
NJEDDA offers a program supporting children ages one through three who have physical and developmental delays called the Special Toddler Playgroup. While NJEDDA no longer provides services associated with Early Intervention, the Special Toddler Playgroup program provides therapeutic and other support services to many children who are making the transition from EI to special education. The agency offers the group twice a week at no charge to families.
The playgroup is a return to our roots, when families brought their children in for groups, and early intervention services were offered in our agency. Our goals are to help these children reach their maximum potential, and to offer support for their parents.
– Dr. William Weiss, Executive Director, NJEDDA.
