I am concerned about the removal of the developmental delay category and disagree that children are being overly served.  There are commercials out all over the state about children who start out behind will most likely stay behind.  The regulations for developmental delay already require that a child has two standard deviations below the norm in order to qualify for services which is really delayed.  Now you want to remove the category altogether.  What is going to happen to all the preschool children who are severely delayed and because that category is being taken away they will be knocked out of receiving services?  They will then start kindergarten severely delayed and since the teachers have to teach to the SOL's instead of where the child is at academically you will be causing children to be left behind instead of no child left behind.  Even for children ages 5 to 8 it is more difficult to meet criteria for a learning disability and that label is lifelong.  Also, children come to school at age 6 from many different environments.  Some may have never had school exposure,  some may be overwhelmed by the school structure or the numbers of children in the classroom and only teacher to deal with everyone.  If they act out now they would most likely be given a developmental delay label if they qualify for services and be put in a smaller group setting with goals written to help them get to where they need to be and hopefully put back in mainstream classes.  If you take the developmental delay category away where are they going to go?  You probably won't be able to say they have a learning disability yet and are you going to put them in an emotionally disabled classroom? That would be inappropriate and should only be used for children who really need it.  I feel you will be making a hugh mistake in removing the developmental delay category and many children will get hurt by this. Please reconsider keeping the developmental delay category and give our children a lifeline to getting the free and appropriate education they so desperately deserve. Thank you.