Special Education/EIS

All states and territories must provide early intervention services to children who have, or are at risk for having, developmental delays, from birth to their third birthday.

Most CONUS locations, local school districts or health departments provide these early intervention services. The program is called different names in different areas, but it is often referred to as Part C because that is the section of the law that pertains to early intervention. The Education Directory for Children with Special Needs has a list of resources specific to each state to help you determine who you should contact. Your installation EFMP Family Support provider can also answer your questions.

If you are moving OCONUS or to a CONUS location with a DODEA school (and you live on installation), your child will receive EIS through the Defense Department’s Educational and Developmental Intervention Services, or EDIS, program.

When moving, you should hand carry copies of your child's most current individual family service plan, or IFSP, and the most current evaluation reports to your new home to ensure they are not lost.

All states and territories provide special education and related services to eligible children between the ages of 3 through 21.

When a child transfers to a different district in the same state, the new school must provide a free, appropriate public education, including comparable services, until the previously held IEP is adopted or a new one is developed and implemented. When a child transfers to another state, the receiving school must provide comparable services until an IEP review can determine if a new evaluation or IEP is appropriate.

If you are moving and your child receives special education and related services, you should hand carry all necessary school and medical documents, including the most current IEP and current evaluation reports. Hand carrying these documents ensures that they are not lost and allows the new school to begin the process as soon as you arrive.

• Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
• EFMP & Me digital tool
• Individualized Education Program & Moving
• Special Needs Parent Toolkit
• Special Needs Resources
• Exceptional Family Member Program videos

Parents of children enrolled in special education should hand-carry all pertinent school and medical documents to include their children’s Individualized Education Program and current testing and evaluation reports to provide to the new school. Copies of reports will be helpful in facilitating a successful transition into the Fort Knox Community Schools.

In the event that your child requires specialized services and/or equipment, it is recommended that you call the Director of Student Services.

If you have a child with special needs, we can help you find the resources available in your school district. https://knox.armymwr.com/programs/school-liaison-officer.

• 533 Spearhead Division Rd, Bldg 500
• 502-624-2305

EFMP

The Exceptional Family Member Program provides comprehensive support to Family members with special needs. EFMP takes an all-inclusive approach to coordinate military and civilian community, educational, medical, housing, and personnel services to help Soldiers and their Families with special needs. https://www.armymwr.com/location-contact?location_form_location=70134.

• 1477 Eisenhower Avenue
• 502-624-4067

SLOs are your best support in the area of education, schools and military transitions. SLOs are knowledgeable in current education news and policies. They act as the conduit between the school community – including local public school districts, private schools and home school Families – and the installation. 533 Spearhead Div ave, Bldg 500, 502-624-6703

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provides comprehensive support to Family members with special needs. EFMP takes an all-inclusive approach to coordinate military and civilian community, educational, medical, housing, and personnel services to help Soldiers and their Families with special needs.

Each installation offers services through two different EFMP offices-the Military Treatment Facility (MTF) EFMP and Army Community Service (ACS) EFMP

1. For EFMP initial screening, enrollment, updates, and overseas screenings, contact the Fort Knox MTF EFMP at 502-624-6211. This office is located in the Margetis facility, building 6289 on Claiborne Street.
2. For resources, advocacy, support groups, and local and state information, contact ACS EFMP at 502-624-4067. ACS EFMP is located on Eisenhower Ave in building 1477.

In DoDEA's Blueprint for Continuous Improvement, the vision statement, the mission statement and the guiding principles each embrace the notion that ALL students will be successful in our schools. Special educators work collaboratively with general educators and share the responsibility for ensuring that students with identified disabilities will meet with success. ALL students can learn when instruction is geared to their strengths and they are given sufficient opportunity to learn.

Special education is specially designed instruction, support, and services provided to students with an identified disability requiring an individually designed instructional program to meet their unique learning needs. The purpose of special education is to enable students to successfully develop to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as implemented by DoD Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents."

DoDEA’s special education programs and services are provided in accordance with the Department of Defense (DoD) Manual 1342.12, “Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents,” dated June 17, 2015. 

In DoDEA, special education and related services are available to eligible students, ages 3 through 21 years of age. To be eligible for special education:

• The child must have an identified disability;
• The disability must adversely (negatively) affect the child's educational performance; and
• The child must require a specially designed instructional program.

Note: Students with a disability who are not found eligible for special education and related services may receive reasonable accommodations and modifications under DoDEA Policy Memorandum: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in a DoDEA Dependent Educational Programs and Activities.

https://www.dodea.edu/Curriculum/SpecialEducation/index.cfm

Prekindergarten (Pre-K) 

Pre-K is a partial day, standards-based program that serves all eligible military dependents and families in schools who live on stateside installations with DoDEA Americas schools. Pre-K programs implement a comprehensive curriculum promoting child development and learning in the following domains and content areas: physical, social- emotional, cognitive, language, literacy, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, and the arts. DoDEA Pre-K programs are developmentally appropriate; follow an adopted curriculum, and provide safe, caring, learning environments which engage young children in intentional learning experiences. Current adopted DoDEA College and Career Ready Standards and curriculum materials are implemented in the Pre-K classroom.

ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY

Prekindergarten is a program for eligible military dependents who are currently living on a military installation , stateside or Guam, with a DoDEA Americas school and meet the four year old age requirement (must turn four years old by September 1 of the current school year).

https://www.dodea.edu/Curriculum/Preschool/index.cfm

Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD) (DoDEA Americas, Europe and Pacific

Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities offers eligible young children with disabilities specially designed instruction, support, and services to meet their identified individualized learning needs. Current adopted DoDEA College and Career Ready Standards and curriculum materials for preschool are used to support the implementation of each child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Curriculum and instruction includes focus on development of individual skills such as: expressive/receptive communication, language development, motor skills, and social skill development.

The purpose of special education services is to enable students to successfully develop to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as implemented by DoD Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents."

ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY

Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities are provided for children three to five years of age who demonstrate an unexpected delay in developmental functioning when compared with the functioning of a nondisabled child of the same chronological age or have been identified as having a specific disability. Eligibility for PSCD is determined through a comprehensive evaluation process that includes standardized evaluation instruments and is confirmed by observations and professional judgment of early intervention or related services professionals.

https://www.dodea.edu/Curriculum/Preschool/index.cfm