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Special Needs
MirandaHobbes
member
Kindy update
MirandaHobbes
member
I don't think I posted an update to my kindy debacle. It ended wonderfully- whew. I had a panic attack when I saw they had signed DS up for the half-day kindy classroom instead of the full-day. With pullouts, I was afraid he'd barely be mainstreamed at all, and I was trying to figure out what he was going to do the rest of the day. I was mad that they told me "all ASD kids are in the half-day program". It turns out, it is true that all the ASD kids (6 of them) are in the half-day classroom, because they transition to an ASD-only classroom for the afternoon session. The teacher in the ASD classroom is also present in the morning room, assisting as needed. She reinforces all of the lessons taught in the morning in the afternoon session, with additional social skills lessons and ST and OT pullouts. So basically- it's perfect for us. I'm beyond thrilled. Our private therapists were able to come to the transition meeting. They are tough cookies, and they even admitted afterwards that they had never seen a more thoughtful program and they were impressed. Score!
Because we have a pre-Labor Day start, it feels like the first day is right around the corner!! My next job is to figure out what private therapy we're going to continue during the school year.
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Re: Kindy update
How exciting!
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
This had crossed my mind. The half-day program is understandably not that popular- most parents of typical kids would choose full day. I'm told the class size is about 25 (smaller than the full-day classes of 31). I was told that practically speaking, the parents that choose half-day are stay-at-home moms who aren't ready to transition their kids to full-day. There is also a popular private half-day montessori kindy that some of the kids go to in the afternoon. If the full-day classes fill up, some kids may get shuttled to a half day instead. The legislature just approved statewide full-day kindy, but it doesn't go into effect until 2014. So full-day isn't gauranteed to anyone, although I was told that if you choose full-day as your first choice, you'd likely get it, and if you choose half-day, you'd definitely get it. The "at-risk" kids are prioritized for full-day.
There are three classes- 1 half, 2 full. So the full day kids just stay with the same class all day. DS will eat lunch with the full-day kindy classes, and then move on to his self-contained room.
I'm not sure where the lower-functioning ASD kids go. They may have one:one paras in the half day room, or they may go elsewhere.
So it's 6 kids "on spectrum" and 19 who aren't but likely include kids with other IEP classifications like speech and language services? Are all 6 kids with ASD from the regular catchment area of the school or is the ASD afternoon program located in the building and filled with kids from all over the district?
Yes- although I have no idea how many other IEP kids may be in the room. It's both local and district wide. There are three other ASD program sites within a few miles of the school; you can choose which one you want to go to, but you are given priority to the one closest to your house.
This group often includes a few kids who aren't quite ready for full day who will probably get identified as having some Sped needs. It's a pretty rare parent who chooses half day. I sent DS to private school because my former district had half day. I went to observe during national Education Week and was horrified by the realities of 30 kids in a 2 1/2 hour kindie that included specials, recess and trip to the cafeteria for snack time. It seemed the kids got really good at lining up.
I agree about the preference against half day. At another school I toured there were no full day classrooms because it was in such a wealthy neighborhood. In our district it is based on property taxes; lower-income neighborhoods are prioritized for full day rooms since the children are at-risk and there's additional federal funding for all-day K. So I'm not sure it follows that the half-day program has all the (non ASD) IEP kids in our district. At that wealthy neighborhood school the parents were all discussing this local montessori K program that was used to supplement the half day. My neighborhood is mixed income, thus the 2:1 ratio of full to half.