Anyone who has a concern about a child’s development may make a referral by calling the center at 937-645-6714. The majority of referrals are received from physicians or parents. All referrals must be signed by a parent.
The Harold Lewis Center completes evaluations for students who reside in the Marysville Exempted Village School District. Those that do not reside within MEVSD must start with their home district.
Any time there is a concern that a child under the age of 5 is not meeting developmental milestones when most children do. Examples of developmental milestones and typical ages that they are achieved can be found in the Forms link on the Harold Lewis Center home page.
A thorough evaluation is completed in every area of development (fine motor, gross motor, communication, self help, etc.) by a team of professionals. For children that are age 3 and over, the team includes a professional from the child’s school district of residence. Following the evaluation the results are shared with the family, at which time it is determined if the child is eligible.
To be eligible for Harold Lewis, a child needs to be a resident of Union County, be under the age of 5, and be delayed in one or more areas of development.
For children under the age of three the Ohio Department of Health decides the eligibility criteria. For children three and over, the Ohio Department of Education decides the eligibility criteria. Evaluation results need to fall within the state guidelines for a child to be eligible.
If a child was receiving services out of state or out of the county, Harold Lewis needs to have a copy of the evaluation report that found the child eligible for services, and a copy of the IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan) for a child under the age of 3, or the IEP (Individualized Education Program) for a child over the age of 3. If the family does not have those copies they may sign a release authorizing Harold Lewis to request the documents from the program the child left.
There is no cost to families for services provided by the Harold Lewis Center if the child has a developmental delay or disability. There is a tuition cost for the Peer Model Program.
Peer Models are typically developing children enrolled in the Harold Lewis Center preschool program. Each classroom may have from 4 to 8 children with no developmental delays, who serve as good language and social models for the children with delays. Families pay a monthly fee, determined annually by the Union County Board of DD, which includes transportation.
Families interested in enrolling their child in the peer model program may call the center at 937-645-6733 to request an intake packet, or complete the intake form found in the Forms link on the Harold Lewis Center home page.
Transportation is provided for children enrolled in the Harold Lewis Center preschool program, both for the children with disabilities and peer models. School busses will pick up and drop off anywhere in Union County.
The Harold Lewis Center has operated on a year round calendar since 1996. There are the same number of school days as ‘regular school’ but spread over 11 months rather than 9, with several breaks built into the calendar. The Union County Board of DD adopted this calendar to avoid having the children be without services for 3 months during the summer. With the year round calendar, children are without services a maximum of 6-7 weeks instead of 12 weeks.
The preschool classes are in session Tuesday through Friday. Morning sessions operate from 8:15 to 11:00; the afternoon sessions operate from 12:30 to 3:15. Early Intervention services are scheduled individually with families. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Harold Lewis Center is located at 1280 Charles Lane in Marysville, Ohio. The first entrance visitors will see is the entrance for the World of Wonders Child Care and Learning Center. Visitors to the Harold Lewis Center should drive to the back of the building and come in through the canopied entrance.
The Harold Lewis Center early intervention program believes that the child’s family or care giver is the most important influence in the child’s development. Providing services individually to children and families in the setting that the child is most familiar with provides the best opportunity for the child and family to practice the activities that will help the child learn the most.
The Harold Lewis Center provides a playgroup for any child in Union County. Tots In Tow sessions are held weekly. Children enrolled in the Harold Lewis Center early intervention program may participate in Tots in Tow at no cost. For More information about this playgroup, please see the Tots in Tow page in the Early Intervention section.
The Harold Lewis Center curriculum follows the requirements of the Ohio Department of Education. The curriculum is aligned with the Pre-Kindergarten content standards in the areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Preschool teachers all possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and are licensed by the Ohio Department of Education in early childhood special education. Classroom assistants at a minimum have a high school diploma and are certified by the Ohio Department of Education as educational aides. Speech Therapists possess a minimum of a Master’s Degree and are licensed by the Ohio Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Occupational and Physical Therapists possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and are licensed by the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board. Early Intervention Specialists possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and are licensed by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities in early intervention. The school nurse has a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree and is licensed by the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Harold Lewis Center is licensed by the Ohio Department of Education. The preschool program is required to meet all of the requirements of a licensed preschool, as well as all of the requirements of programs serving children with disabilities.
