OT - Integrated Preschool ?

[Micka Mouse]

Before becoming a teacher, I was a one to one para with an austic child. It was an integrated preschool, and I loved it. Fortunetly, the town we live in also has an integrated preschool and, as many posters have said before, it's a lottery ( a vicious one...the moms are like vultures 'did your dd get in?' 'why didn't i get a call yet?' 'My ds had better get in, or I'll...' ). I was on pins and needles waiting to see if my dd would be accepted, and did leaps when she was !!!!

Granted, her class is small (only 7 children, 4 are special needs), but she has grown tremendously over the last 8 months! Not only academically, but I've noticed a change in her behavior towards children who may (in HER words) "look different". She is so compassionate. She used to beg me to let her swing in the special needs swing at the park, and couldn't quite understand why I said "no". Now she understands. A few days ago, she said to me, "that boy doesn't know that that swing isn't for him. we should tell him it's for the kids who sit in a wheelchair" (again, her words).

She'll be 5 next week, and I am so proud of her. But without the pre-k program, she wouldn't have the opportunity to be around special needs children on a regular basis. She wouldn't know how to respond to their needs without this experience !!!!!!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Preschool director with lots of preschool experence but limited intergration experence. What I have seen of the programs, they are a lot like any preschool in that there are really good ones and not so good ones and it is up to you to find out which this one is. Our district has some intergrated preschool classes and out of the ones I have been involved with two were fantastic and one was not very good.

Check it out just like you would any school. Ask lot of questions. Visit a few different times and try to contact some of the parents. Good luck.

 

[traviesojmt]

My DD has attended an integrated preschool for the past year. We love it. My daughter does not require special needs assistance, but I do like the fact that she does have the benefit of the different teachers. I realize that situations may vary, but I would be hard pressed to tell who required services and who did not in my daughter's class. I have not noticed any bad habits that I could attribute to her attending the program either. I really only have positive things to say about my daughter's preschool. The teachers are wonderful caring individuals who we have been very lucky to know.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

It's great that you're getting lots of positive responses about this. Unfortunately, I can tell you about "the other side."

I was thrilled when my youngest DS was chosen by lottery as a "typical" kid for the public preschool (except for the fact that it was very, very expensive) and thought it would be a great experience for him. Since he is the little brother here at home, I thought it might be nice for him to get to be a role model for a change. He started in Sept, and by Nov/Dec, we had pretty much decided that we would not send him there the following year. We gave up and we pulled him out in January, b/c we had a totally miserable child at that time. He was a PM student, but he would wake up in the morning and the first thing he would say was, "Please don't make me go to that school." He also started talking about the town that we moved from a year earlier (when he was only 2) and saying he wanted to go back there! Yikes!

The district (top 5 rated in the state) told us that the NAEYC accreditors hadn't even been able to tell which kids were special needs in the class, so most needs were minor. That was not so. There were severely autistic children, multi-handicapped, and maybe a child or two that was only there for speech. The ratio was supposed to be 60% needs/40% typical. Unfortunately, they couldn't keep enough typical kids in the class to meet that ratio. By the time we left, there were only 3 "typicals" and 9 with needs, and the other 2 typical kids were girls. There was only a teacher (in her first year!) and an aide, and the aide spent most of her time trying to keep one child in the classroom. My guess is that my child was virtually ignored. I know of 4 other children that had similar experiences that ultimately left the school. Unfortunately (and this is obviously a generalization), the parents that seem to like it and stick with it, are also the ones that comment about how nice it is that the 3 yr.old program is 4 day (most are only 2) and how nice that you aren't expected to volunteer (in fact, we were discouraged from volunteering and I hated the lack of connection w/ other parents from the class). My son did fantastic when we switched to another preschool in Feb. that year.

So, bottom line is that I think it matters a great deal how the class is integrated. Other districts have more typicals than needs, which makes more sense from a role model perspective. There was no way that those special needs kids were benefitting from my son being in there - most of them couldn't have interacted with him at all. Also, if you get a new teacher, I think they are often overwhelmed that first year or two.

I know this is not "PC," (and I was an elementary teacher myself), but I have come to believe that mainstreaming definitely benefits the special needs kids more than it does the typical kids. Yes, they will learn empathy and caring, but it might be at the expense of their own academic needs.

Oh boy! I am so sorry you had such a bad experience! I do have to say though that my ds's school is the complete opposite. His class is all typically developing children and the other class has children with delays. They swap half the class into each other's rooms each week for many lessons. It's been so great because he gets to meet all these wonderfuls teachers (therapists) and he loves all the fun things they get to do. He doesn't have any special needs nor do any kids in his immediate class. The school is also very good at keeping the parents up to date with what they are doing and involving us. Any concerns or issues that we may have about anything are immediately addressed. I am really happy with how much my ds has learned this year. He loves going to school there. It is run by the school district but we do pay for it. I will be sending all my kids there when they turn 4. Unfortunately they don't have a 3 year old program so they will go somewhere else for that year otherwise I would send them there for their 2 years at pre-school. I also want to add that I can't stand sending my kids to school as I miss them terribly but I know they are having such a great time and learning so much. I too have met those parents who are happy just to get the kids out of the house. I never could understand that.

 

[twinmum]

My twins are now 8 - and one of the boys has cerebral palsy. He is cognitively, verbally and socially age-appropriate, but his mobility is quite impaired (he cannot stand independently and uses a walker).

The boys attended an integrated nursery school and kindergarten program. They are now both in our local school and our son with CP is in a regular class with a 75% assistant.

As a parent of both types of students ("one with and one without", as we used to call it) I can say without question that both our children benefited enormously from the integrated setting. Interestingly, over the years, most parents of able-bodied children and every teacher have described how the able-bodied children learn in so many unexpected ways from this environment - they build social skills, learn empathy and so on. This year's teacher (Grade 3 and most are in class with him for the first time) says that the others are learning more from our son than the other way around - lessons like tolerance, patience, acceptance, perseverance, courage and so on. She's told me that he has the most positive attitude of every child in the classs despite his challenges, that the others can see this and are learning from it (Am I proud? Oh yes!) And how many "typically developing" children have had an unsuspected special need identified thanks to the low ratio of professionals to children?

Be sure to ask lots of questions. Visit the classroom. Talk to other parents. And remember, you do always have a choice to change classroom environments if needed. Go into it with a positive attitude. Be prepared for lots of interesting questions and comments from your child. And remember - your child is too young to have built up any biases about children with special needs...lots of natural curiosity, but not built-in bias. Don't be afraid to talk about differences, equipments etc. It's OK if your child really, really wants to try out a wheelchair or a walker - just find out from the parent/teacher the best way to make it happen. Ask your own questions as needed. And please, don't be afraid to reach out to the parents of the special needs kids. They are eager to see how you are supporting your child, and theirs, in learning together in the integrated environment. And they want to be just like any other parent in the class.

Have fun!
Twinmum

 

[SmallWorld71]

Hi, I've actually been in 3 different situations - one with each child. DS11 was in an integrated PK class as a special needs student(his speech was severely delayed), DS8 went to a private non-integrated pre-school, and DD4 is currently a peer model in an integrated school. First, let me say that I loved DS8's pre-school but we moved to a different town and it was not practical to send DD4 there. Anyway, a few of my own ideas and opinions:

1) My daughter has not picked up any bad habits from children with special needs.
2) A good teacher is vital to any preschool program - talk to others in your area who have had children in various programs and see what they thought.
3) Whichever type of PK you choose make sure there is a good teacher/student ratio. (And a good peer/not peer ratio)Ideally there should be at least 2 adults (1 teacher and one aide) per 10 kids. More for a class with more severe needs.
4) All preschools have children in them with special needs. The ones who aren't at integrated programs just haven't been evaluated and identified yet. In reality your only way to avoid an "atypical" child would be to not send your child to school.
5)As a 1st grade teacher in an inclusion classroom, I would say to explore the possibilities and then "go with your gut." A teacher and a program that coincide with your personal beliefs and values where you will be comfortable leaving your child every day is what is most important.
Good luck.

 

[dijid]

I'm glad most people have had positive experiences. When I was looking into the pre-K integrated program in my school district, one of the moms I talked to did not like having her DD as a "typical" student in the program. Like the one other person posted, she felt her DD was ignored. She never picked up bad behavior, she wasn't harmed in any way. She just never got attention or learned anything. She felt her DD was woefully unprepared for kindergarten as a result.

I think you really need to find out how much experience the teacher has, and what types of "disabilities" you will find. I can speak from personal experience of volunteering in my DD's classes that having children with severe disabilities in a class can take away from the amount of time a teacher can spend with the rest of the class.

 

[maxtomsmom]

We have many programs like the one you described here in NY for a long time now. Most people feel that it is a positive experience for all. Both learn a great deal from each other. I think it is a good thing to expose our children to diversity in every aspect at an early age. From personal experience, my DS is in a Kindergarten class that has students included. Two are hard of hearing, one is severely ADD. He is on the other end, reading way above close to third grade level now. When he's bored, he offers to help the girls who are hard of hearing. He's no angel though, he has a smart mouth that has gotten him into trouble. I worry what the other kids are picking up from him. He knows what's an offensive word (the usual 4 letter kind), so he has chosen to make up some of his own. When he's mad he calls you a dumb bucket. So, like others have posted, you should be worried about your child learning anything from other kids special ed or not. But I think you're considering a good thing.

 

[belle&beast]

I'm glad most people have had positive experiences. When I was looking into the pre-K integrated program in my school district, one of the moms I talked to did not like having her DD as a "typical" student in the program. Like the one other person posted, she felt her DD was ignored. She never picked up bad behavior, she wasn't harmed in any way. She just never got attention or learned anything. She felt her DD was woefully unprepared for kindergarten as a result.

I think you really need to find out how much experience the teacher has, and what types of "disabilities" you will find. I can speak from personal experience of volunteering in my DD's classes that having children with severe disabilities in a class can take away from the amount of time a teacher can spend with the rest of the class.

I am a speech therapist in an inclusive preschool and I am sorry you and the other poster had bad experiences. I am certain that this is not the case in our school. We have a clasroom teacher, 2 aides, a resource teacher, an OT, a PT and a speech therapist. The resource teacher is responsible for overseeing the kids with IEPs and the classroom teacher is responsible for teaching the class. The aides are flexible and work with all the students and of course the therapists come in to see the kids with their services on their IEPs.

I have found that the peers in the classroom get a lot of attention because I use them as models for my students. We play games together and work on many social aspects of communication with the typically developing students. They in turn love to be "teacher" and learn acceptance for people with disabilities.

Also, you may be able to find out about the teacher, but IEPs are confidential and you will not be told who has one or what the disability is. In my experience, children with severe disabilities will have an paraprofessional assigned to only them, so it should not affect the other students in the class. Again, I am saddened to hear of negative experiences with inclusive environments and sorry for your children's bad experiences. I do think that there are many more good programs than bad. I am a big supporter of inclusion especially with young children.

 

[dijid]

In my experience, children with severe disabilities will have an paraprofessional assigned to only them, so it should not affect the other students in the class. Again, I am saddened to hear of negative experiences with inclusive environments and sorry for your children's bad experiences. I do think that there are many more good programs than bad. I am a big supporter of inclusion especially with young children.

It sounds like most of the positive experiences were with children with "minor" disabilities (for lack of a better description.) My DD was in class with a non-verbal child who had difficulty with a walker and mouthed anything and everything he could get his hands on. This was in addition to a few other children with more minor problems. Despite having an assigned aid, the amount of time spent moving the one boy around was considerable. The teacher really wanted to make things inclusive, and so the rest of the class would sit and wait for him to join them. The amount of time spent moving to gym, or music, etc. or even through the different centers in the class severely cut into instructional time. Instead of building tolerance, it frustrated a few kids. No one befriended him (again, he was non-verbal and at best would grunt). I don't think this is typical of an inclusive class, but it is an example of what might be a "worst case" scenario for the OP's preschool experience. That's why I was suggesting trying to find out more about the disabilities of the kids in the class. Details wouldn't be necessary, but severity could be useful.

 

[mdsouth]

I will join the majority here and say check it out thoroughly and then try it out. You could always pull your child out if you think it is not benefitting him.
My DS has been fortunate to go to a school that endorses inclusion since kindergarten. They have a small Pre-K program but I was unaware of it at the time. The children with needs have ranged from those in wheelchairs, hearing impaired, blind, LD, forms of autisim, etc. I think all the children benefit. The teacher student ratio is much lower than typical public schools and the students all learn that everyone may have differences, but everyone has similarities as well. I just recently tried getting my DD into the Pre-K program for the Fall but she did not get in. As others have said, it is a lottery and the parents of all the students who get into the program are very excited and thankful. Hopefully, my DD will be accepted at the school the following year, I really would have to see her go to a "normal" school for K-8.

 

[belle&beast]

It sounds like most of the positive experiences were with children with "minor" disabilities (for lack of a better description.) My DD was in class with a non-verbal child who had difficulty with a walker and mouthed anything and everything he could get his hands on. This was in addition to a few other children with more minor problems. Despite having an assigned aid, the amount of time spent moving the one boy around was considerable. The teacher really wanted to make things inclusive, and so the rest of the class would sit and wait for him to join them. The amount of time spent moving to gym, or music, etc. or even through the different centers in the class severely cut into instructional time. Instead of building tolerance, it frustrated a few kids. No one befriended him (again, he was non-verbal and at best would grunt). I don't think this is typical of an inclusive class, but it is an example of what might be a "worst case" scenario for the OP's preschool experience. That's why I was suggesting trying to find out more about the disabilities of the kids in the class. Details wouldn't be necessary, but severity could be useful.

I am not trying to argue, but I disagree. We have students with a variety of disabilities, including kids in wheelchairs and those who are nonverbal as well as those with Down Syndrome and autism. Part of my responsibility is to assist with social communication, so even the kids who can only "grunt" are part of the class and our typically developing kids are included in activities with them. That is the whole idea of having peer role models in the classroom.

It all depends upon the way the classroom is set up and how the teacher manages. We do wait for our children who do not get to circle quickly- sometimes it is a child with a disability and sometimes it is a typically developing peer who is having a tough time transitioning from a preferred activity. The OP should visit and see how the classroom is managed. Again, the teacher will not be at liberty to tell anything about children with IEPs- even the severity.

I am not trying to be snarky, I am sensitive about this topic.

 

[Starr W.]

I am not trying to argue, but I disagree. We have students with a variety of disabilities, including kids in wheelchairs and those who are nonverbal as well as those with Down Syndrome and autism. Part of my responsibility is to assist with social communication, so even the kids who can only "grunt" are part of the class and our typically developing kids are included in activities with them. That is the whole idea of having peer role models in the classroom.

It all depends upon the way the classroom is set up and how the teacher manages. We do wait for our children who do not get to circle quickly- sometimes it is a child with a disability and sometimes it is a typically developing peer who is having a tough time transitioning from a preferred activity. The OP should visit and see how the classroom is managed. Again, the teacher will not be at liberty to tell anything about children with IEPs- even the severity.

I am not trying to be snarky, I am sensitive about this topic.

You are very right about this belle&beast, alot of it depends on the teacher. Our teacher(has had my Aspie eldest and my somewhat immature younger son) has to be one of the best teachers we have come across. She had the eldest ready for kindergarten, so much so that they were rather suprised at what he could do in class(he's now an A/B 4th grader with minimal intervention and time in special ed room).

My youngest is very bright, taught himself letters and numbers at 15 months by playing toddler computer games. He's already caught on to rhyming and letter sounds(alot more is done with that than 5 yrs ago). The only reason we held him back is he was behind in his fine motor skills and kind of immature(just turned 6 this week). After discussions with teachers and principals we made this move and they were very supportive(kindergarten teacher this year has boys turning 7 in Jan & Feb).

 

[SueM in MN]

I thought this article about an inclusion Kindergarten might be interesting to people reading this thread.
My youngest DD has multiple disabilities, with CP as her main diagnosis. She can't talk and has a lot of physical involvement, but she understands everything.
When she was preschool age, she was the only disabled child in a regular preschool/daycare. During the school year, she attended a school based Early Childhood program that was just only kids with disabilities of various types. If I had it to do over again, she would have only attended the preschool with 'neuro-typical' kids. She didn't get any extra attention in the preschool than the other kids got, but she was expected to do what she could and the preschool teachers did a great job of including her. When the teacher said, "Green group, come over here for circle time," she went (crawling or in her wheelchair, but she went the same as the other kids). One really big inclusion thing was when they held a "Preschool Olympics" and included a crawling category for 5 yr olds. Since she was the only 5 year old who could still crawl well, she won by a lot. Some of the other kids told the teacher it was not fair to have a crawling competition because they could walk much faster. That led to some good discussions about different abilities and different needs. One of DD's friends decided to crawl for a day, which also led to some good discussions about how some things were much harder to do if you could not walk.

In the Early Childhood (EC) program, the teacher's expectations were much lower and when I told the teacher that I would like them to work on some reading/pre-reading skills because DD was already able to pick out her name from a number of other words and was picking out the first letter of her name from books with big print, the teacher's response was that "That's nice that you think she can do that. We will have to work on name recognition this year." Luckily, we moved about 4 months after that.

 

[Parksfamily5]

Our school district started one of these preschool programs this year. My dd is in this class. Last year we went to the "best" preschool in our town. (It has had that reputation in the community for years). It is for "typical " students only. She liked it and she did well there.
This year I enrolled her in the new integrated preschool at our school. There are 8 "non typicals" and 4 "typicals" in the class. I have to say it has been a great experience for her. It is very hands on and she is learning more than she did in the "typical" only school. I also believe that it is helping her with a wonderful socialization foundation.
I will definitely send my son to this program when he is old enough. The waiting list for the "typical" students is huge. I must also mention that their teacher is incredible.

 

[Epcot Mom]

My son is mildly autistic and in an integrated preschool classroom half of his day. Most people would not notice there is anything "different" about him and I was concerned the bar would not be high enough in a "special ed" room. Boy was I wrong. It all comes down to the staff in the room and having the right mix of adults to kids, matching each child's needs. He has 12 kids in the room, several of which are non-verbal or nearly so. They have their own aid so the class moves on and they have the assistance to move with it. My experience has been that it's a win-win for everyone as long as the staff is right. For my district, they are the best! Classroom visits (without your child) are key and watching through a window can be good too. Time in the room gives you the feel for it. We're all different, and kids learn that brown hair, glasses, leg braces or autism are just different ways to be a kid.

Epcot Mom

 

[tw1nsmom]

I have twins (I guess that's obvious). One has special needs and one doesn't. We had a horrible preschool experience, but it had to do with lack of integration and outright discrimination.

I would ask about the teacher and para to student ratios. That really is key to any good program. When it came to bad behavior, we had more trouble with the "typical" kids than the kids with special needs. We had one choke DD, another shove DS to the ground, and yet another trip DS. That's not counting the group of boys in kindergarten who would turn their back on DS whenever it was his turn to talk at circle time.

 

[gabbysmom04]

My DD just started at a preschool that was integrated! We only found out about it because of some testing she needed for EI. We love it! She loves going to school! They have three teachers in each room and they help with so much more then a reg. preschool would.