What is the meaning of NCEC of Special education umbrella?

Answer 1

NCEC stands for Non-Categorical Early Childhood. It is a catch-all category for young children (typically 3-5 or so) who clearly have some kind of developmental delay but don't have a definitive diagnosis. Students can start special education in public schools as early as 3-years-old, but they have to have a qualifying condition (i.e.- usually a diagnosis). Some children may have a diagnosis very early on such as in cases of Down syndrome or Cerebral Palsy. Many children are given a temporary diagnosis of NCEC for special education qualification either because doctors are unsure of the diagnosis (in the case of unusual or rare disorders) or when the child is not old enough to be officially given the suspected diagnosis (for example, autism spectrum disorders or ADHD, which may require the child to be up to 7 for diagnosis, but have shown symptoms sooner).