wwyd re: integration and schooling

We have a big decision to make regarding DD's school for next year. Currently she attends a preschool with a fulltime aide twice a week. We have had issues with the teacher in her room (still has never spoken to us despite numerous atempts on our part). Never attended the IPP (I think in the US you call it IEP).

The agency we use to provide the aide and all of her therapists is housed in the same building as the preschool. This is great because her program leader and all the therapists can go downstairs and see her all the time. Even though I don't have a good feeling about the teacher there is a very nice teachers assistant in the room who DD likes.

We initially felt there was no way we would continue there next year. DD seemed definitely not to be part of the class, her and her aide did their own thing. The teacher obviously doesn't want DD there. DD is not too disruptive. She has issues sitting for more than a few minutes, etc but nothing that should have alienated her from this teacher.

We got into a great small private special needs school for September. She would be a small class with kids with all different backgrounds, but all special needs. No intergration. We were all set with that.

However this last month we have seen huge gains! DD has made a friend in her class, she can sit for storytime most days, her launguage has improved hugely and just overall great things! The agency has promised to put her into a different class next year with a supposedly great teacher (who used to be a special needs teacher) and put her in 4-5 days a week.

I am leaning towards this just because we have seen such improvement. What I didn't like was how the agency keeps telling me if we do not intergrate now she will never. Ugh!

This other school seems great. One thing holding me back is seeing how DD does on playdates. With typical kids she does pretty good. With other ASD kids it's utter chaos. She almost needs someone to model the behavior and she follows. She is an only child so she doesn't have a typical role model either.

WWYD?