Pre School Services

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Our experienced staff assists children ages 3-5 with developing skills necessary to succeed in future educational and social experiences. Our staff takes a team approach in providing services and assists with the transition to kindergarten.

Services Offered

• Speech Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Special Education Itinerate Services
• Psychology
• Social Work /Family Services
• Multi Disciplinary Evaluations
• Supplemental Evaluations
• Service Coordination
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) Services

Approved Counties

• Albany County
• Columbia County
• Fulton County
• Greene County
• Montgomery County
• Otsego County
• Rensselaer County
• Saratoga County
• Schenectady County
• Schoharie County
• Washington County

What are Pre-School Services?

Pre-School services are designed to address a delay or lag in development for children three to five years old. Advanced Therapy helps to address the needs of children and their families who meet the criteria for services.

Who is eligible for Pre School Services?

If your child (ages 3 – 5 years) has a disability that may be affecting his or her learning, the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) will find your child to be an eligible "preschool student with a disability.”

How is eligibility decided?

When your child is referred to the CPSE, you will be given a list of agencies approved by the State Education Department to provide preschool special education evaluations. You will be asked to select one of the approved evaluators, and sign a consent form for your child to be evaluated at no cost to you or your family. Advanced Therapy provides preschool multi-disciplinary evaluations and will help determine your child’s strengths, needs and if he/she meets the criteria for services.

Where and who provides Pre-School Services?

If the CPSE finds your child to be an eligible "preschool student with a disability”, the CPSE will also recommend the program or services to meet your child’s individual needs and where they will be provided.

Most children with disabilities can receive the special education services they need in settings with their nondisabled peers. They also should participate in developmentally appropriate activities. The CPSE must consider how to provide the services in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), where your child can learn close to your home, with other children of the same age who do not have disabilities. Services may be provided at pre-kindergarten or Head Start program, child care location, the student's home or other community location.

It is important that parents consider environments that offer peer interaction for their children ages 3-5, as social and play skills are an important aspect of child development at this age. Advanced Therapy offers a 2 ½ - 5 hour enrichment program. Based on their approved services, students who qualify for services can attend our program at no cost to families. Families also have the option of extending their child’s attendance in the enrichment program at nominal or discounted cost. (make this a link to our enrichment program tab).

If your child is an eligible “preschool student with a disability”, you and the other CPSE members will write an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child that will list the recommended services to be provided, how often, and for how long. The recommendations will be forwarded to your local school district’s Board of Education for approval.

What makes Advanced Therapy Pre-School Services different from our competitors?

We can state that our therapists, administration and professional skills are better than that of competitors, but only you as a consumer will be able to answer that question. I am sure that when you contact our clients, you will find that Advanced Therapy is considered one of the top companies in the area and spoken very highly of by those who work with us. So what is it that makes us different?

• We can offer continuity for your child by having them work with a therapist from 3 years of age throughout school age. If your child attends a district preschool it is more than likely that we are the related service provider for that district (contact Advanced Therapy to see if we service your district). This allows us to assign a therapist to your child that will continue services when they transition to school.
• Our staff is also familiar with the differences of pre-school and school age services. They are able to make recommendations and set goals that are appropriate to each setting. We have implemented a “Preschool Transition Form” to assist our staff with communication of your child’s needs to therapist who work in districts we do not service.
• Advanced Therapy’s 2 ½ - 5 hour enrichment program offers parents an integrated classroom that is small in numbers, has a collaborative approach to services and provides a program that is discounted or at no cost to those who qualify.