What are SEIT services?

A Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) provides specialized individual or group instruction and/or indirect services to preschool students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).  Services are provided on an itinerant basis, meaning the SEIT travels to the childcare or educational setting where the child attends during the day.  SEIT services may be provided alone or in combination with one or more related services.

Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) services must be provided by a New York State certified special education teacher.  While most children receive SEIT services from a teacher certified in special education or speech and hearing, children with hearing impairments may require a certified teacher of the deaf, children with visual impairments may require a certified teacher of the blind and visually impaired, and bilingual children may require a certified bilingual teacher of special education.

A Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) is employed by an agency that is approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to provide itinerant special education instruction to preschool students with disabilities. 

What do SEIT services support? How are SEIT services delivered?

A SEIT is a New York State certified special education teacher who comes to work with a preschool student with a disability on academic, emotional, and social skills.  SEIT services include both direct and indirect services. “Direct service” is specially designed instruction in which the SEIT works directly with a child, one-on-one or in a group (based on the IEP recommendation). Direct SEIT allows the preschool child with an IEP to benefit from the early childhood program and to participate in age-appropriate activities. “Indirect SEIT” means consultation provided by a certified special education teacher to assist the child's early childhood program teacher in adjusting the learning environment and/or modifying their instructional methods to meet the individual needs of a preschool student with a disability who attends an early childhood program. 

SEITs should support teachers in the development of daily lesson plans that consider differentiation, accommodations and modifications, and integrating IEP goals and services into daily learning and routines.  SEIT service delivery should be integrated into the routines and activities of the classroom as much as possible, depending upon the needs of the student and the goals being addressed. All SEIT services should align with the overall classroom curriculum and instruction and be focused on preparing the student to be an active member of the early childhood program.

A preschool student’s IEP will specify direct and/or indirect SEIT, including the frequency (how often, e.g., 3x/week), duration (length of session, e.g., 1 hour), intensity (group or individual, e.g., 1:1), and location (where, e.g., childcare setting selected by parent) for SEIT services.  The IEP will indicate the projected date for initiation of services and whether the child is eligible for 10-month or 12-month services (July and August).

SEIT may be provided at a location identified on the IEP including, but not limited to, an approved or licensed pre-Kindergarten or Head Start program, a hospital, a State facility, or a childcare location selected by the parent or home under certain circumstances. 

“Guidance on Preschool Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) Services.” SEIT Guidance, infohub.nyced.org/working-with-the-doe/special-education-providers/preschool-providers/seitguidance#:~:text=A%20Special%20Education%20Itinerant%20Teacher,Individualized%20Education%20Programs%20(IEPs).