Sensory disorder..In School... Young Kids

YES!!! Get an IEP, my son is on one for SPD problems and it is wonderful. He is still in a classroom with typical children but gets speech and occupational therapy while there. He had tremendous success at school and I can't even tell you how much he progressed this last year of school. We just had his annual review of his IEP last week, and it is great because they let me know what goals he has met, which ones they are still going to work on and new goals that they are setting for the next year. This way I can work with him on stuff I did not realize needed to be worked on etc. Really, it is a GREAT program, and this teacher in this other school sounds high maintenance. I have never had to go into the classroom with my son and it has taught him a lot more independence.

Neither of my girls has SPD, but two of their friends do. I watched one of the friends struggle in a typical pre-school program -- to the point where the teacher was frustrated, the parents were frustrated, the other kids were frustrated, etc. The little girl was pulled out of the school and her parents found a program for kids with learning differences... and that has made all the difference. O is fantastically happy in her new program and she's progressing at an amazing pace.

So... why the story? I think you're possibly setting yourself up for failure putting your youngest in the same private preschool your others went to. The biggest sign for me is that the teacher isn't on-board. That means she doesn't have the confidence in herself, or the desire, to deal with a child that might require extra attention. And for me, that would be enough red flag to pull him out. If you had a teacher who approached the situation with "lets give it a try. I'm sure we can make Z happy, but if he's not able to control himself or he's disrupting the other kids, we might need you in the class" then I would do it. But the teacher is ALREADY expressing concern. She's predisposed to see any problem your son has a too big or too much. And since this is a private school, there's no requirement that they accommodate your son, or make the process easy on you. Even if your son has an IEP, that doesn't make a difference in private schools - just the public ones.

I would not put my child into a program where I needed to be there (if all the other parents weren't). There are just too many other options where your son will be welcomed.

The IEP process can be long- but ultimately it's the best for children who need different accomodations in the school system. Be proactive and ask the school district to test him immediately to see if he'd qualify next year. That way he'd be in pre-school, but with teachers who want to work with him... not someone who wants to classify him even before he gets there.

I haven't read all your answers, but here's my 2 cents...

I know there is early intervention for children like your son. (I'm an elementary teacher and see it often). If your child has sensory processing difficulty and is speech delayed you should qualify for free preschool with an IEP. Your son should be evaluated and start preschool in the school system. They are able to "handle" children with disabilities and will not ask for you to attend. Additionally, if he does qualify with an IEP preschool should be free. IEPs start as young as 3 and go to age 21 if they are needed. Please check into this. Your family will greatly benefit (he would get speech, ot/pt, ldr etc. if he qualifies)

Sometimes as a mom it's hard to hear the tough things about our children, but if he needs extra help....behavior included.....to be able to learn and grow, then we need to give it to our children. Stay open-minded and do your research.

If your son has an IEP then the school district must educate him from age three. I would get the IEP and send him to the public school's preschool. They are equipped to work with students like your son and meet his needs.

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I think it is absurd that a professional teacher and a paraprofessional aide cannot handle a classroom of 8 children without a parent present. I have never heard of such a thing. Maybe a get-acquainted orientation for all the children and their parents, but that's it.

Your child is entitled to early intervention services (many of which you are getting) and an IEP. You might want to go directly to the head of special education for your school district. The "letter" from you might be just ONE piece of the documentation they look at, but the rest should be professional assessments from the therapists and any other professionals involved to date.

We've worked with many sensory processing issues as well as PDD and ADD in our group, and we've seen dramatic progress when nutritional solutions are added to the OT and other services. That's the only additional thing you might consider. You are clearly a strong advocate for your child and I think that is commendable. You are striving for the right thing - a "normal" educational experience. That means a child who is happy, healthy, and able to adjust to new situations and flourish in them.

You don't say if this is a major behavior problem. My son is extremely active, has speech issues and can be hard to handle. But he actually does much better when I am not around. It also depends on the teacher. This year's teacher was wonderful and could just say things a certain way and all of the kids would listen. Although she had trouble understanding him earlier this year, she grew to relate to his speech issues. Unless your son is literally tearing this classroom apart when you pick his brothers up, I think this teacher is really over reacting. Maybe there is another preschool program you could find for him? If you do decide to go with this one, ask the teacher to have an open mind and try it for a few days before you have to go in there.

I don't think you should have to be in class with your child, that's ridiculous. I think your reasons for not wanting to be in class are absolutely valid. My son is three and he was/is speech delayed. I took him to our local school district and he was evaluated for an IEP and he qualified for the special education preschool 5 days a week. He also receives speech therapy and OT through the local school district. I am not sure how old your boy is, but once they turn three, your school district is required to evaluate him for an IEP and they have to do it in a certain time frame. They are required to give him services if he qualifies. My son's speech was very similar to what your son is experiencing. At first I was bit apprehensive of having him in the special ed. preschool, but it has been the best thing for him. He has progressed so much and he can't wait to go to class. They have a 1:3 adult/student ratio with the teachers and aides. It did take my son at least 2 months to get accustomed to the class. The teacher was even considering change teachers for him because she was very concerned about his progress. But he just eventually came out his shell and he has made big strides. He is speaking in full sentences. I never received a medical diagnosis because I was always happy with the level of services he was receiving and he has finally made progress. I was considering it when he was not making progress, but mentally, I did not want to have some label in my mind about him, plus it costs tons of money and really what can someone tell me in 2 hours that I cannot tell in 3 years with him. I mean they just look at behavior, its not like you get a definitive genetic or lab result. Just my opinion. But yes, definitely get in contact with your local school district and get the process on the IEP going, it will be the best thing for him. Also, you are lucky that you are a SAHM, but if you were working, how can they expect you to be in class with him. If the IEP does not work out, I would definitely find another school, because its not going to work for your child.

IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. It can take place in a regular classroom with an aide assigned to assist him. It can take place in a regular classroom with two teachers, one trained in Special Ed. and one regular ed teacher, the kids are mixed regular ed and kids with IEPs.. For preschool it may be a special classroom where speech therapist and OT come in to work with kids. Again remember the class will be mixed, some kids with IEPs and some regular ed kids. I think a teacher trained to work with children with SPD would be better able to help him adjust to school and would be your best bet at one day having him in a regular classroom.

I think your child is being prejudged and will be behind the 8 ball from the
start. I would find a different school for him.

You don't say how old your child is. As the other mother's stated, if he is 3 then he can qualify for your town's preschool. Some towns are more strict with their requirements, some more lenient. Also, they differ in terms of what group of kids they have. My son has some sensory issues and had a speech delay. He was in a typical preschool before he was 3 and he did fine there but they definetly did not help him progress much at all. I got him tested by the town and he did qualify even though he didn't actually have any delays anymore. But since he was in EI, they felt that he needed continued support. The class is awesome and the best thing we ever did for him. I still don't like to think that people judge him as being "disabled" just because he goes to the preschool because he is totally not. The teachers are more understanding and can spend time with kids that learn a little differently. As long as you think your son would fit into the class, I would say fight for him to be there. You will be amazed. Also, just because other kids are in typical preschools doesn't mean that they don't have issues. You are smart to make sure your son is getting the services he needs to maximize his potential.

Diane already covered pretty much everything I wanted to say, so I just really wanted to add that you need to find a preschool that is special needs friendly. This one is not. It's very, very important for your son to have a preschool that feels comfortable in handling his needs.

That's not to say that if you have additional children in the school to pull them out and switch them. I think you could manage by pulling just your son and putting him into a preschool that's a better fit AND will be comfortable working hand in hand with the local public school in forming and following through with an IEP. They would help him transition from preschool to kindergarten so that he would continue with an IEP in kindergarten and beyond with his PPT (Planning and Placement Team).

My daughter was able to get services from the Early Intervention as part of an IEP in her preschool classroom sent from the public school. On days that she didn't have preschool we took her to the Early Childhood Learning Center (where all kindergarten in our town is held) and she had services there as well. So she had in-class services as well as off-site services. Her preschool worked directly with the Early Intervention team. Other preschools in town didn't do this so well.

I am wondering what part of WA you are in. I'm a little taken aback at the teachers concerns. But, you know her, so we can just leave that alone.

Our 5 YO was recently diagnosed with Autism. At age 3 he had a lot of sensory issues as well. He was also diagnosed with ADHD. We were not in support of any medications either until we watched our son in a class room setting completely unable to focus. We researched and tried Concerta and we were in tears when we saw the positive effect on him. He could actually sit and focus and start to interact without being too socially awkward etc...

We have an IEP and it is a great tool. It is more than just support for the child, it is a legal right that the school and district have to abide by. We have special meetings and are in contact often with all who are involved. We have 3 YO twins as well. It is so obvious to us now that J was different, but him bein our first, we were unsure.

Have you thought about asking the OT and/or SLP to do a consult with the teacher? OT/SLP can give you some literature/websites to share with this teacher. Information can help her be more confident. She may not have any idea how to help your child.

My two and a half year old son has the same issues. He is delayed in his speach and how he plays with things.... he can't put a puzzle together or push a car forward. He will play with the wheels or throw it.

He is seeing a Speech therapist now, hopefully soon he will see an OT and we can take it from there. I have seen improvement, but not as much as I would have hoped. Allot of homework, yes.. and lots to learn. It can be very overwhelming. (And I only have one child to deal with.... its exhausting)

Hugs for you