Early Childhood Special Education
Related Resources
Connecticut 2-1-1
2-1-1 Child Care is Connecticut’s statewide child care resource and referral agency. 2-1-1 Child Care provides free, confidential referrals to child care programs.
Connecticut Birth-to-Three Program
Birth to Three supports families when they have concerns about their children's (birth to age three) development.
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC)
CPAC is a statewide nonprofit organization that offers information and support to families of children with any disability or chronic illness, age birth through 26. The Center is committed to the idea that parents can be the most effective advocates for their children, given the confidence that knowledge and understanding of special education law and its procedures can bring.
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA)
The ECTA Center supports state Part C and Section 619 programs in developing high-quality early intervention and preschool special education service systems, increasing local implementation of evidence-based practices, and enhancing outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families.
Sparkler
Connecticut families with children 0-5 years old can use Download Sparkler’s mobile app for free to check in on their children’s development, learn through play, and tap into a network of support from 211 Child Development and Help Me Grow. Sparkler is available in English and Spanish. It offers families tools to monitor children’s social-emotional, cognitive, communication, and physical development, including the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, as well as suggestions for play-based learning activities to support children’s development.
- Download: You can download Sparkler from the Google Play Store if you have an Android phone or tablet or from the Apple App Store if you use an iPhone or iPad.
- Register: Open the app and tap “Create a New Account.” Enter the Sparkler Access Code CT on the first step of registration to access developmental screening and to access Connecticut-specific resources and support. Answer the questions to create an account for yourself and a profile for your child. You must enter your child’s birthday correctly because Sparkler assigns screenings and other content based on your child’s age.
- Questions? Please email your district or contact Sparkler.
- Sparkler handouts in English and Español.
Special Education Resources and Links for Parents and Teachers
Links to support organizations for families including general information, disability rights, information about specific medical conditions, assistive technology, ADHD, emotional and behavioral disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and much more.
State Education Resource Center (SERC)
SERC is a quasi-public agency established under statute to serve the CT State Board of Education in supporting educational equity and excellence. They do this by providing professional development and information dissemination in the latest research and best practices to educators, service providers, and families throughout the state, as well as job-embedded technical assistance and training within schools, programs, and districts.
U.S. DOE-Office of Special Education Programs
OSEP is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.
Wrights Law
Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
Yellow Pages for Kids-CT
Find educational consultants, psychologists, diagnosticians, health care specialists, academic tutors, Speech language therapists, advocates and attorneys. You will also find government programs, grassroots organizations, special education schools, and parent support groups.