Preschooler in a multi-cat preschool?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2006
Preschooler in a multi-cat preschool?
4
Sun, 07-16-2006 - 4:54pm

My little Tanner is going to preschool this year! I know he will have a great time, but I will be a sobbing mess when he steps on the bus for the first time! (And second, third, fourth, etc.)

I am a little concerned, though. He is a high-functioning PDD-NOSer, but will be in a multi-category special ed classroom. I am familiar with regular preschool settings, but not for special ed students. Plus, Tanner learns so much from example that I wonder if he will keep making steps forward if he learns behaviors from other students in the classroom. I also don't know if they will be working with each student's individual needs, or just the class as a whole.

There are all types of special needs kids: from Down's Syndrome to those with speech needs. There is also at least one adult to every two students, sometimes better, so I think he would get a lot of one-on-one time.

He has been placed in the class because he is not a "legal" three yr old (what you need to be at the start of the year) this year (October baby), and his current teachers think it would be a good move to get him ready for the regular preschool classes the following year.

What do you think?

Rachael

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Sun, 07-16-2006 - 6:29pm

Dear Rachael,

I have heard other parents talk about kids picking up bad behaviors, but that was so not our experience. Ds went to special needs preschool only, as there were no mixed NT-special needs schools here. He flourished. I do think it depends on the teachers and THEIR modeling and assistance. And ds didn't pick up bad behavior from other kids, he experimented and came out of his shell, learned to play and interact in such wonderful ways. I think it will be great for your ds, not as stressful as NT preschool and he will continue to make huge strides. Good teachers keep the bad behaviors under control and help ALL the students learn what they need to know. And students whose needs are being met DO all learn, no matter what their disabilities.

Special needs preschool was such a wonderful experience for our family, and was the real beginnings of the wonderful development that now has us our son happy, full of language and humor, and learning to cope with the world at age 9 even along with those difficulties that NT kids don't have.

Loved it, even the bus. DS learned so much good stuff while riding on the bus, too.

Sara
ilovemalcolm

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2001
Sun, 07-16-2006 - 7:46pm
That sounds basically like what my Bobby is in.

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sun, 07-16-2006 - 10:20pm

Peter attended two special needs preschools, neither of which were specifically ASD/PDD. In fact, I took him out of the 'more "specialty" PDD preschool (he was in a 'mixed' class) , because those people, while very nice,

-Paula

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 07-17-2006 - 12:15am

Cait was in a mixed class but hers was 1/2 special ed and 1/2 typical. The special needs in teh class ranged from kids with speech delays to pretty significant autism. Cait was right about in the middle. She was the only high functioning ASD kid in the class. Most were ADHD or speech delayed, 2 were significantly autistic and Cait fell right in the middle. It worked out well.

Currently in 3-5th grades, Mike is in a learning handicapped special day class. For the most part the kids in there are learning disabled or mildly developmentally delayed. This year they had one other autistic boy in the class. He was HF as well but a bit more delayed than Mike but also way more easy going. It has worked out well too for him. In 3rd grade Mike was only in that classroom, in 4th he mainstreamed about 1+ hours, next year in 5th he will mainstream some more. It is wonderful because he has a wonderful teacher.

It really depends on the staff in each situation I think more than anything else.

As far as the grouping of children goes I can only give the advice our first neuro gave us. Make sure he is not the highest kid nor the most needy kid in the class but more right in the middle.

It sounds like a good start for preK to give him a head start of an extra year. As far as picking up behaviors, I don't recall that being to big of a problem. Sometimes they would learn some new ones that had to be addressed but they were no worse and actually usually much better than behaviors they can sometimes pick up on the playground from NT peers who aren't supervised as closely.

Renee

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