Nate just had his eligibility and IEP meeting on Wednesday. He is qualifying for SPED based solely on significant speech delay. He will attend the EC classroom two mornings a week. He will be getting ST for 50 minutes a week only. I am just curious what others are doing with their kiddos. For now I have Nate enrolled in the public school system to give them a try first before I investigate private preschools/daycare. Nate does not meet the 3 year old age cutoff in our area for age 3 programs so my options are limited at switching him this school year.

Nate came from a family centered approach EI program and had received very limited services so for us 50 minute's a week of any type of therapy is more than he has ever received. It does frustrate me on the disparity in programs just withing miles from my home. Nate has local friends who are demonstrated higher speech and cognative skills but our weaker on the motor skills and they are attending programs 4 days a week.

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Sherry
Evan(6), OlIvia(5), and Nathan(9/7/04*)

Kayla's three and has attended an Easter Seals program since February when she was 2 years 9 months (we decided to transition her out of EI at that time. Here in NY we did have the option of keeping her in EI until this September, but she was getting bored with her EI therapists and wasn't making much progress). During EI, she got 60 minutes of OT, 60 minutes of PT, 60 minutes of special ed and 120 mintues speech each week at home.

She is in a self-contained (special ed) class and attends full time (8:45 - 2:30) 5 days a week, including 6 weeks during the summer. She gets OT 3 x 30 (3 days a week, 30 minutes a day), PT 3 x 30, and speech 4 x 30.

They do typical preschool stuff there. This is her schedule:

8:45 - 9:25 Arrival - students will place belongings on hooks, sign in, find seats and complete morning task. (Kayla actually does this stuff) Students are then encouraged to find a table toy for choice time play.

9:25 - 10:00 Circle Time - Group lesson time to reinforce concepts and build community among students

10:00 - 10:15 Morning Snack - Time for students to develop adaptive living skills and to socialize

10:15 - 11:00 Academic Centers - Students will rotate between stations to reinforce kindergarten readiness skills and to work on achieving individual goals

11:00 - 11:30 Gross Motor Play - outside or in gym

11:30 - 12:15 Lunch

12:15 - 12:30 Story Time

12:30 - 1:00 Special Daily Activity (Music, Group Games, Cooking, Sensory Time, Show and Tell)

1:00 - 1:45 Play Centers for Small Group Play

1:45 - 2:00 Daily Exercises - fitness program

2:00 - 2:15 Afternoon Snack

2:15 - 2:30 Goodbye Circle and Dismissal

They keep them very busy! Her therapies are all done in the classroom, and she usually sneaks a nap in there somewhere, too.

Good luck, hope you find an appropriate program!

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Ecki



MomMom of Kayla (Ds/Autism 4/5/04) and Laurie (PDD-NOS 7/12/01)

Our Blog - Opposite Kids
Kayla's Story http://www.ecki.com/kayla/

let's see... it's been a few years We were in CA when Russell transitioned into EC. I think he went all day. We went out of district to a neighboring district within our SELPA (same as a co-op). He got all services but not ST at the time. It was a great program. We then moved to IL when he ws 3 1/2 and the class was half day I think. He then received all services and it was like a cross category class. It wasn't for him and we then looked into Head Start and an Autism school and a school for children w/severe needs... the severe needs school won out and we sent him there for an all day program. We then moved to MO right when he turned 5 and we kept him in EC another year. He did all day at first because that was how his IEP read, then we switched it to half day. THAT was a great place for him! It was not an educational preschool which they did offer, it was what was called the "focus room" for kids with more severe needs.

At even 4 yrs old Russell was still SOOO delayed he really still needed early intervention and a therapy based program so that is why we moved him to another place. BUT.. it was all done through his IEP. So, my suggestion to you is whatever you need for Nate, always request it in writing and do it through the IEP. You can GET private preschool through and IEP if his needs aren't being met. They have to prove it. You can do an IEP at any time!

A.

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2007 St. Louis Buddy Walk Regan 14 (and a half), Russell 9 (and a half) DS, Autism, Visually Impaired, Reece 7.