P.I.E. Program

What is PIE?

PIE stands for Preschool Instruction for the Exceptional. It is a program designed for children ages 3-5 with special needs. The goal of PIE is to help these exceptional children to grow and develop socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.

PIE’s curriculum was developed through team observation and evaluation of each child and his or her IEP. Concepts and skills are introduced that are appropriate to each child’s needs and stage of development and that reinforce social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. Concrete, hands-on activities and experiences are planned according to a calendar of themes and units that have relevance for the child and provide meaningful learning.

Who is Eligible?

• A child may be eligible for PIE when they reach their third birthday and….
• Has problems talking or making needs known
• Has difficulty understanding or following directions
• Has difficulty playing with other children
• Has difficulty seeing or hearing
• Has poor physical condition
• Is unusually active and cannot concentrate for even short periods of time
• Is unusually quiet, lethargic, or disinterested
• Is a resident of one of the nine towns in Region III

Diagnostic Evaluation Areas

• Speech and language/communication
• Gross and fine motor development
• Cognitive/perceptual development
• Social and emotional development

Classroom Program

• Individualized Education Program in all developmental areas (speech and language, social and emotional, fine and gross motor, self-help and play).
• Related therapies: speech and language, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
• Hands-on computer experience.
• Field trips.

Family Support

• Parent Conferences
• Classroom participation
• Guest Speakers
• Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)

Federal law requires school districts to educate students with disabilities (3-21) in the least restrictive environment. Region III established the Wee Tots and S.L.I.C.E. Programs at PIE to begin to address this mandate.

Wee Tots consists of placing a proportionate number of non-classified students into a classroom shared with students from PIE/Valley who attend Wee Tots on a full/part-time basis.

The curriculum/instructional focus of Wee Tots is on kindergarten readiness skills. The Region also offers S.L.I.C.E. as an option for students/parents and child study teams that permits consideration of the placement of a student—upon classification as preschool handicapped, in a typical preschool itself.

Together with the parent, the child study team asks “given the needs of the student, where can we provide ‘a program’ as close as possible to typical peers?” S.L.I.C.E. also provides an option for students who no longer need the full services of PIE.

S.L.I.C.E. is an intervention model that consists of a consultant teacher of the handicapped and an itinerant speech-language therapist who will work with preschool disabled student(s) in his/her typical preschool program.

Among the roles of the consulting teacher are:

• working directly with the student in the classroom
• consulting with teachers regarding modification/accommodations
• developing goals/objectives for students in the setting and reporting progress.

The speech-language therapist provides services as delineated in the IEP (individual, group or consultation) and will consult with the itinerant teacher of the handicapped and the preschool teachers.

Occupational therapist/physical therapists provide IEP-based services as needed.

PIE/Wee Tots/S.L.I.C.E./and the Valley Program classes are interwoven to address the individual needs of preschool students in Region III.

Learn more about the Wee Tots Program - Click Here