Prevention: Federal impact on preschool handicapped programs

Children with special needs should be identified before they fail. This preventive approach includes identifying children with potential problems, assessing their specific strengths and weaknesses, and developing appropriate interventions where needed. Until recently, preventive actions were started primarily at the elementary level, especially for reading disabilities. Since 1960 there has been an increasing emphasis on preschool preventive programs. The purpose of this paper is to delineate key elements of a preschool program that could lead to the prevention of academic failure. Since judicial and legislative decisions have influenced the shape of preschool programs, this paper first presents an overview of the legal history, and then describes the program elements of an effective preschool program for handicapped children.