7.5 hrs/wk spec Ed preschool enough?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2006
7.5 hrs/wk spec Ed preschool enough?
2
Fri, 12-15-2006 - 11:27pm

Hi - my son is 4.5 and has been loosely dxd as high-functioning austism, ADHD, dyspraxia. He has speech and OT delays. The school evaluated him and his scores weren't great. On the other hand, they've placed him in a program consisting of 6.5 hrs/wk of integrated spec.ed preschool (with peer role models)and 1/2 hr each of speech and OT. While I agree that he is high-functioning, you do eventually notice that he's different from the other children. His biggest weakness is socially. He loves to play with other children, but is very physical, gets over-excited, and doesn't respond to social cues and direct requests from his peers. (when a peer tells him to stop doing something, (like chasing them) he laughs and continues to do so, like it's a game))

One of his neurologists suggested we take him to an OT specializing in sensory integration therapy, something the school hasn't even addressed in his IEP, so we've been taking him to see her once per week at our own expense.

My question is: based on what I've described, do you think 7.5 hours is sufficient?
(The director/spec. Ed administrator is also his teacher, so there's a conflict of interest that I have to deal with as well.)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sat, 12-16-2006 - 1:01am

Welcome to the board!!!


I guess I would consider what else he is doing.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 12-16-2006 - 3:30am

Typically it isn't considered enough but you do have to consider if he is doing anything else.

As a rule of thumb the National Association of Sciences put out a book on treating young children with autism. This book recomends 25 hours per week of the child involved in active learning in some way. This doesn't mean that it all has to be in the classroom. Active teaching at home using specific methods to teach self care can count as can outside activities such as playgroups, sports, etc as long as there is active learning that is in such a way as the child is benefitting. In other words he is not off to the side stimming. It is real and meaningful for them in the way that they learn.

However, that said, typically I think more than 7.5 hours of preschool per week would be warranted as typically that would take up the majority of the childs educational hours. When my dd was in school (many many years ago prior to this recomendation and with a PDD-NOS dx) she had 15 hours per week of integrated preschool plus we did an extra at least 10 hours at home of speech homework, self care using ABA, and she was in gymnastics and swimming constituting another 2-3 hours per week.

She did very well but hindsight being 20/20 I would have likely pushed for more time but that worked for us then.

Renee

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