Special Instruction / SEIT
SEIT and Special Instruction for children from birth to age 5.
The same service under two names, by age
Knowing which term applies to your child helps with the paperwork. We fill the mandate under either one.
- Special Instruction (SI)
- For infants and toddlers in Early Intervention, delivered against the IFSP and authorized through NYS Department of Health, at no cost to eligible families.
- SEIT
- For preschoolers, delivered against the IEP through the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE), authorized by the district, with private pay available.
Four areas of early-childhood instruction
Instruction is matched to the goals in the child’s plan and monitored with regular progress and milestone tracking.
- Language & communication
- Building early words, understanding, and the back-and-forth of communication.
- Cognitive development
- Attention, problem-solving, and the early thinking skills learning is built on.
- Social interaction
- Playing, sharing, and connecting with others: the social skills a child needs for preschool and school.
- Self-care & routines
- The everyday independence skills that help a young child navigate their day.
No cost to eligible families when the service is authorized.
When Special Instruction or SEIT is authorized (through NYS Department of Health for birth-to-3, or the district’s CPSE for preschool), there is no cost to eligible families. We match a credentialed early-childhood instructor to the mandate and the setting, deliver play-based sessions of 45–60 minutes, and keep the documentation audit-ready.
Understand Early Intervention
How a Special Instruction engagement runs
Pick any part of the sentence to see the detail.
Special Instruction is written into an IFSP (in Early Intervention) or an IEP (in preschool). We match a credentialed early-childhood instructor to that mandate, the child's age, and the setting.
Sessions use structured play, multisensory activities, modeling, and storytelling (typically 45–60 minutes) with home-activity guides so learning continues between visits.
- Typically 45–60 minutes
- One-on-one and play-based
- Structured play, multisensory activities, modeling, storytelling
- Home-activity guides between visits
Instructors coordinate with speech, occupational, and physical therapists on the child's team, and keep families updated with regular progress and milestone tracking.
What families ask
What is Special Instruction / SEIT?
Specialized, individualized instruction for young children with developmental needs. In Early Intervention (birth–3) it is called Special Instruction (SI); in preschool (ages 3–5, through the CPSE) the same kind of itinerant teaching is called SEIT: Special Education Itinerant Teacher services. Both build early communication, thinking, social, and self-care skills through structured, play-based teaching.
Who delivers it?
Credentialed and certified early-childhood special-education instructors, cleared to work with children before a first session. They coordinate with speech, occupational, and physical therapists on the child's team when the plan calls for it.
Who is it for?
Children from birth to age 3 receiving Early Intervention, and preschoolers ages 3–5 with a mandate on their plan: those with developmental delays or who need added support meeting early milestones in language, cognition, social interaction, or self-care.
What does it cost families?
There is no cost to eligible families when services are authorized by NYS Department of Health Early Intervention (birth–3) or by the school district / CPSE for preschool. Private pay is available where a family prefers it.
Where and how long are sessions?
Typically 45–60 minutes, delivered one-on-one, with frequency set by the child's evaluation and plan. Sessions take place in-home, in-school, community-based, or at an agreed setting, with home-activity guides so learning continues between visits.
How do we get started?
Tell us the mandate and the setting. Our coordination team responds within 24 hours, typically within 4–6 hours, and matches a qualified instructor from there.
Start with a child development evaluation, see the full catalog, or call (718) 540-8268.
If special instruction is on the plan, or your child is turning three
- I cannot keep SI, SEIT, IFSP and IEP straight.
- It is one kind of teaching under two names. Before age three it is called Special Instruction and sits on the IFSP through Early Intervention; in preschool it is called SEIT and sits on the IEP through the CPSE. Tell us which paper you have and we will explain which one applies to your child.
- My child turns three soon and I am worried the services will stop.
- The move to preschool services does not happen on its own. It starts with a written referral to the CPSE, made by you or, with your consent, by Early Intervention, and your EI service coordinator can help write the letter. Advocates for Children suggests sending it at least four months before the birthday.
- It is on the plan, but no instructor has started yet.
- Unfilled mandates are a known problem in New York City. Tell your EI service coordinator, or your CPSE administrator for a preschooler, that sessions have not started, then call us. We match a credentialed early-childhood instructor to the mandate, the child's age and the setting.
- Your child's date of birth
- The IFSP or IEP page that lists the service
- How often and how long the sessions should be
- Where sessions would happen: home, daycare or preschool
- Your service coordinator's or CPSE contact's name
You can call without all of these. We will work out the rest with you.
Request a Special Instruction or SEIT provider
Tell us the mandate and the setting. Our coordination team treats unserved mandates with urgency and responds within 24 hours, typically within 4–6 hours.
