The mission of the Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center, is to foster a safe, nurturing environment that encourages chidren to obtain their potential socially, emotionaly, and academically.

From small beginnings come great things.

At Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center we believe: Communication between school staff and parents is integral for student success.  Developing character is a part of education. A safe supportive environment nurtures learning and success. Children should be given opportunities to learn in the least restrictive environment. Parents are vital parts of the educational team.  Schools are the framework for the development of life skills. All children have the right to reach full potential within every learning opportunity. A family's right to privacy should be respected. All children deserve to feel valued as unique individuals. Dignity, respect and trust are integral parts of the learning process. All learning styles need to be addressed.

The Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center serves the youngest students in the Sevier County School System which are ages 3-5. These students are special needs and qualify for the program through a strict evaluation process. Areas evaluated include Cognitive, Communication, Social-Emotional, Adaptive and Fine and Gross Motor.We are a local child find center and children are referred to us by parents, doctors, and by various agencies. We also receive students from the Tennessee Early Intervention Systems who serve the children from birth to age three. It is state law that we transition those students to our local school system upon the child’s third birthday if they qualify for us. Therefore, we are getting new students all throughout the school year as these students turn three. 

Currently, we have eight classrooms. Six classrooms are special needs preschool, one voluntary pre-k class, and one developmental kindergarten. All teachers hold advanced degrees and are highly qualified. We also have 15 trained special education assistants who must complete 30 hours of  specialized training each year. Many services are offered including speech, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and hearing and vision services.

The preschool special education program serves children having mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. These conditions include but are not limited to; Autism Spectrum Disorder,  Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Emotional disturbance, Functional delays, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual disability, Intellectual gifted, Multiple disabilities, Orthopedic impairment, Other health impairment, Speech and language impairments, Traumatic brain injury, and visual impairments.

We believe that these students deserve the same opportunities afforded to typically developing children. The early intervention that we provide will enable them to succeed.