Over the years, both the Department of Education (TDOE) and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) have worked closely together to ensure children and young adults with disabilities receive critical early supports, a high-quality education, and are prepared to transition into adulthood with readiness for post-secondary education and employment. This is a partnership that has benefited thousands. We continue to work together to streamline supports and improve the effectiveness of our services.
The Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) is a program that provides services to children ages birth to three who have disabilities or developmental delays. TEIS is a critically important program that supports young children and their families to reach their optimal development. Because of the connections to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this program has been housed in TDOE. Currently the TDOE is responsible for Pre-K – 12 education, serving almost a million students and thousands of state and district employees. DIDD has a specialized focus on people with disabilities outside of the school system, which is also the work occurring in TEIS. In order to elevate and move the work of TEIS forward, this program will be re-positioned within the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities by July 1, 2020.
The most important thing to note for families is that this change will not change the services their child receives through TEIS. READ PARENT LETTER for more details.