Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services are designed for children from age three until the child's seventh birthday.  Children can qualify for services under the ECSE criteria until the child turns seven.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services begin with a developmental evaluation. This evaluation documents a child’s skills in a variety of areas, such as cognition, motor, social-emotional, language-communication, and/or adaptive (self-help) development. There are also certain conditions and medical diagnoses that automatically qualify a child for ECSE services. For example, a qualifying condition/diagnosis is one that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay, and the child currently demonstrates a need.

In Minnesota, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services are provided through the public school system. Districts within the state of MN often refer to these services as the Help Me Grow Program.