Children's Corner Program provides multi-disciplinary evaluations to children in their own homes or daycares to determine eligibility for both the Early Intervention services and/or preschool aged services. Our team of licensed professionals will assess children, focusing on areas of concern while also checking developmental domains such as cognitive, social/emotional, communication, motor, and adaptive. This complete picture will help us to identify any areas of delay and what services, if any, may be appropriate to meet their needs.

The Children's Corner Preschool Program operates five developmentally appropriate preschool classrooms in Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Fort Covington, and Malone. We serve children from ages 3-5 and are able to provide special education services, speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and play therapies to those who show a need for such service. In addition, we have an itinerant teacher who will travel to places like homes, daycare, and other preschool settings as decided by the families to deliver special education services.

Saranac Lake Children's Corner: 26 Trudeau Road, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Tupper Lake Children's Corner: 12 Mohawk Street, Tupper Lake, NY 12986
Malone Children's Corner: 125 Catherine Street, Malone, NY 12953
Salmon River Children's Corner:637 Co. Rd 1, Fort Covington, NY 12937

To Start the Evaluation Process

• For children ages birth - 2.5 years old, residing in Franklin County, please call Christina Frederick at 518-481-1529.
• For children ages birth - 2.5 years old, residing in Essex County, please call Lucianna Celotti at 518-873-3522.
• For children ages 2.5 - 5 please contact your local school district and ask for evaluations to be done. Once you contact them, they will send you a consent form and a list of evaluating agencies to choose from.

Step 1: Initial Referral for Special Education Services Students suspected of having a disability are referred to a multidisciplinary team called the Committee on Preschool Special Education. This must be made in writing to the local school districts director of Special Education. Please call the number below for your district to figure out how best to submit your request for evaluation.

Who can make a referral?
You, the parent, can always make a referral for your child. Your child's teacher or a professional in your child's school may also make a referral to the Committee. Additional people who may make a referral include doctors, judicial officers (such as a family court judge or a probation officer) or a designated person in a public agency. In addition, a referral may also be made by someone from an Early Childhood Direction Center, an approved preschool program or an Early Intervention Program that serves children with disabilities from birth to age three.

Where to make the referral?
Saranac Lake: Suzanne Nichols: 518-897-1409 or Lisa Gallo: 518-897-1410
Lake Placid: Sarah Allen 518-523-3640 ext 4013 or Lisa Rissburger: 518-523-3640 ext. 4011
Tupper Lake: Matthew Southwick: 518-359-3322 ext. 2023 or Beth Bedore: 518-359-3322 ext. 2027
Malone: Sarah McMartin: 518-483-9487 ext. 7464 or Karen Vanier: 518-483-7800 Option 2
Salmon River: Allen Gravell: 518-358-6630 or Tracy Oakes: 518-358-6632
St. Regis Falls: Kate Dwyer or Sarah Goodrow 518-856-9421 Option 5
Brushton-Moira: Jillian Riley or Christine Martin: 518-529-7342 Option 4
Chateaugay: Katie Jarvis: 518-497-6611 ext. 2502


Step 2: Individual Evaluation Process: The committee arranges for an evaluation of the student's abilities and needs.

After your child is referred for an evaluation for special education, you will be asked to give your written consent to have your son or daughter evaluated. The results of an evaluation help determine if special education services or programs are needed. An evaluation includes various assessment tools and strategies. These tests determine what your child's learning difficulties may be and how those difficulties affect his or her participation and progress in the general education curriculum. This evaluation is at no cost to you. As a parent, it will be helpful to share with the evaluators and members of the committee the important information you have about your child's skills, abilities and needs, including copies of any evaluations you have on your child. The Committee must consider information from parents when making decisions. Parents of preschool children will be asked to select an approved evaluator from a list of evaluation sites. If you have concerns about providing consent, you can talk to the Committee chairperson. If you do not provide consent for your preschool child (ages 3-5) to be evaluated, the Committee on Preschool Special Education will take steps to make sure that you have received and understand the request for consent for evaluation of your child but the district may not go forward without your consent.


Step 3: Determining Eligibility for Special Education Services Based on evaluation results, the Committee decides if the student is eligible to receive special education services and programs.

After the evaluation is completed, you will be invited to a meeting, as a member of the Committee, to talk about the results. You should attend this meeting because you have important information to share about your child. If you can not attend, you have the right to ask the district to change the time or place of the meeting. At the meeting, the Committee will review the evaluation results. Based on that information, and information that you provide, the Committee decides if your child is eligible or ineligible to receive special education programs and/or services.


Step 4: Individualized Education Program (IEP).

If the child is eligible to receive special education services, the Committee develops and implements an appropriate IEP, based on evaluation results, to meet the needs of the student. Based on the IEP, the Committee must determine the student's placement, ensuring that services are provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Placement must be as close as possible to the student's home, and unless the student's IEP requires some other arrangement, the student must be educated in the school he or she would have attended in not disabled.

Examples of Services:
For preschool students, special education services and programs may include related services; special education itinerant services; a half-day preschool program; a full-day preschool program; 12 month special service and/or program; or an in-state residential special education program. Before recommending that special education services are provided in a setting which includes only preschool children with disabilities, the CPSE shall first consider providing special education services in a setting where age-appropriate peers without disabilities are typically found.



Step 5: Annual Review/Reevaluation The IEP is reviewed and, if needed, modified or revised by the Committee at least once a year (annual review).

The student has a reevaluation at least once every three years, to review the student's need for special education programs and services and to revise the IEP, as appropriate. A reevaluation may also occur when conditions warrant or when requested by a parent or teacher. The process occurs sequentially with each step building on the previous one. In this way, comprehensive information about the student is obtained and considered. Timelines are in place so that delays are avoided. Parents are an integral part of this process, and your involvement is encouraged. At your child's last annual review before entering Kindergarten, the committee will decide whether they should be referred to the school age Committee on Special Education. If so, they will have another meeting closer to the start of the school year to look at needed programing and services.

For more information regarding IEP's and the evaluation process for preschool aged and school age students, visit: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/parentsguide.pdf

For more information about any of our Children's Corner Services, please call 518-359-7518, ext. 124.