Child care for 8 year old boy with mild special needs

[JennyG]

DH and I think our son is ready for either the Kid's Club at the Poly or KNO. He may need a one on one buddy at the Kid's Club.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Just not sure which way to go.

 

[lanejudy]

DH and I think our son is ready for either the Kid's Club at the Poly or KNO. He may need a one on one buddy at the Kid's Club.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Just not sure which way to go.

I don't believe the WDW children's activity centers will allow for 1:1 if he needs that level of supervision. I haven't used them, but have read that Kids Nite Out works with special needs kids and some of the caregivers are teachers/retired teachers.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[mommysaurus]

How mild are his needs? My son has special needs also and we did the kids club at 7.5 years. My sons needs are mostly related to behavior. He is hyper and goes 110 miles per hour with a short attention span. He easily gets agitated and doesn't self regulate enough to walk away and calm down when he gets upset/starts melting down. He needs someone to make him take a "cool down" (basically a time out...but you can't call it that because that's for kids who are in trouble ) and then he is usually good to go. I explained this to the people at the kids club and just told them to call me if he became upset. There were only like 5 kids in the club and it was a very calm, low key environment. He didn't end up having any issues. He was the oldest kid there and he loves to be a helper so he was in his element. Also I strategically chose the kids club at AKL at had dinner/drinks at jiko/Victoria falls lounge. They are right there by each other. I even peeked in at him at one point and all was fine.

If your son truly has mild needs and will be okay in a small group I'd say go for it. If he needs 1:1 help then the club probably isn't the right choice and I'd go with a sitter. I haven't used that service though so I can't comment.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

they aren't going to provide a one on one for your child. It isn't something they offer. That being said, if you make them aware of what his needs are, they will do their best to accommodate them, or tell you that it isn't feasible.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My DS8 has special needs, also on the milder side (high anxiety, language disorder, etc.). He didn't set foot in a kids club until he was 7 and now I can barely get him out! They have structured and unstructured activities in the club, so if he wants to play video games or watch a movie he can do that, or take part in the organized activities. They don't have one-to-ones, but if you are going at a slower time, there may not be a lot of kids there.

One thing I would suggest, if you are unsure if the kids club will work out, I would choose a club other than the Poly or the one at BC. They have changed the programming at those clubs (a little more structured) and charge a flat fee of $55. A bit pricey if it doesn't work out and you need to pick up your son early. I would try WL, AKL or the Dolphin which still have hourly rates. At the Dolphin club, you actually get two hours of free care if you eat at a swan/dolphin restaurant and show your receipt. All the clubs offer dinner and snack.

I've also used KNO and they are excellent. I would not hesitate to hire them again. However, if you would like your son to be around other children, the kids club might be worth a shot.

The first time my son went to a WDW kids club, I was prepared to take him out after an hour ( though I knew there was a 2 hour minimum for payment). He surprised us and wanted to stay!