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Post by danikins on Mar 27, 2008 18:44:21 GMT -5
Hi gang, I would like to get input from my fellow UNOmaser's on kindergarten. I had Dani's IEP today and her dad (my ex) is strongly desiring for her to go to a multi cat classroom which would be 75% self contained and 25% inclusion. I was hoping to have Dani mainstreamed and integrated more than that.
So basically, I am just curious about everyone's experience with kindergarten and what choices you made, and what were the results.
I know every state is different. I am actually trying to move to get Dani into a better school distict in our city, but I have to be prepared if I can not move.
I am just seeking opinions, advice and personal experiences.
Dani is very verbal and is doing very well. My concern is her going into this classrooom, which is K-2nd grade with all kinds of various disabilities, may cause a regression in the progress I have seen this year. Maybe she does need a transition.
Thanks for thoughts and input.
Kim Mom to Dani [glow=red,2,300]I will love you forever and ever[/glow]
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Post by CC on Mar 27, 2008 19:01:12 GMT -5
Christopher is 15 now but way back when ... He was in his home school self contained Kindy class full day and was mainstreamed into art, gym, library, music, lunch/recess and any and all class trips. For him that worked very well. Since you said "Dani is very verbal and is doing very well" is there any reason you are not going the fully included route?? Have you seen the programs that are available. Seeing the programs and the population of kids that are in the programs always helped me tons to figure out where the best placement for my son was. Best of Luck in what ever program you chose CC ~
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Post by Connie on Mar 27, 2008 19:11:35 GMT -5
Kim,
When Collin was 5 we were in a different school district, that district tried to make me send him to Kindy and put him in a moderate program. I refused and changed districts by moving to the country to a smaller country school.
There we kept him in preschool one more year. When he turned 6 we enrolled him in Kindergarden. He went all day, 1/2 day regular ed, 1/2 day Title 1. With all the pull outs for ST, OT, PT.
This year we decided to keep Collin in Kindy again. First 1/2 of the day he is in regular Kindy, 2nd 1/2 he goes to the resource room. He does have an aid...which can be a good thing but can also be bad.
I go back in May to discuss Collins placement for 1st grade. I look for him to remain at our homeschool and not be bussed out.
Hope this helps, Connie
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Post by Connie on Mar 27, 2008 19:23:11 GMT -5
Kim, Also, after reading CC's post it made me think. Collin is the only kiddo with DS in this school (we have 2 in the disctrict including Collin). I don't know if this info will help with your decession or not.... Collin is labled as having a moderate mental disablility. He also has ADHD and while I would now say he's verbal I would say he is hard to understand at times. With that being said I would also have to say that Collin has very good social skills even though he is not as "book" smart as someother kiddo's here this placement has been the best for him and I don't think he would be as far a long if he were in a different placement. I hope this helps and sorry if it doesn't Connie
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Post by momofcourt on Mar 28, 2008 7:07:56 GMT -5
My daughter is in kindy this year, she is in a regular class and pulled out 30 minutes a day for resource room, 2 times a week for speech and 1 time a week for OT. It is working out well. She can say lots of words and some 2 or 3 word sentences, but it is not her strong point. I spoke with the principal and she of course wanted my take on how I felt things were going now and what are my thoughts for next year. I thought it would be best to keep Courtney in kindy another year so she could have a better foundation for the up coming years, but I was told that they don't like to keep kids back in kindy and to save that for later on. What she propose we do is have her go on to 1st grade next year, but she will be pulled out for the resource room and self contained room as a walk in, and ST & OT. Then remain in the regular class for all social activities and to start her day off there. This will keep her with the kids she established a peer group with. I was not to happy to hear that she would be pulled out about 55% of the day. I called Hope Haven ( Down Syndrome Clinic in FL)and spoke to the director, to get her point of veiw, who said that it would be good for Courtney because she would get more one on one in the resource room and as a walk in in self contained. I also gave my consent to have an IQ test done. I did purchase that book Emotions to Advocacy and I am currently reading it. I'm hoping the book will help me make some of these hard choices. BTW-- My husband is fine with the schools proposal. I'm not sure this will help you at all, but I am here struggling with these choices with you Valerie
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Post by tiffany on Mar 28, 2008 8:34:22 GMT -5
we have Leah in 1st grade 1/2 day, and self contained the other 1/2. This is not my ideal, I would like her in 1st all day, but she is not verbal. I am hoping that by 4th or 5th grade she can be fully included. For now, I think its VERY important that the kids know her so they will accept her. She also is very smart so she needs the good modeling behavior. She gets all of her OT,ST and stuff while in self contained. This way, 1st grade is about 1st grade! Good luck with this, it does sound to me like she would do great in a regular kindy. Tiffany
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Post by Emilysmom on Mar 28, 2008 8:48:57 GMT -5
Emily is 15, but when it was time for her to begin kindergarten, she went to a private kindy with just 8 kids ("typically developing) in the class for a year. It was a great experience for her!!! The following year, she moved to our local school in the regular kindy class. (Because of the difference between 8 kids and 26 kids in the class, we decided to have her repeat kindergarten, and it seems like that was the BEST of all possible years to repeat a grade). She did just fine, with some help with a resource teacher for extra help with reading and also received PT/OT/ST services. She will graduate in 2011 with the same kids she started with in Kindergarten. I think the younger grades are a perfect time for inclusion!!!! If that's what you envisioned for her, please push for it and give it a try!!!!!
Susan
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Post by Valerie on Mar 28, 2008 19:27:45 GMT -5
Well, Nicholas is starting kindergarten this fall. We live in a small community, he is the ONLY one in this town that I believe has ever had down syndrome! Lol!
Anyway, the preschool is at the regular school, he's been going Mon-Thurs full days with typical 4 yr olds, one other special needs student in the class. The preschool teacher is also certified for special ed, so there was no pull outs.
For kindergarten, we preferred he spent most of the day with his peers in the regular classroom, because he is such a visual learner and models others very well, so we wanted him to stay with the other kids and learn their social behaviors, etc. So his pull out time with the special ed teacher is going to be about an hour, I believe.
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Post by momofrussell on Mar 28, 2008 20:17:56 GMT -5
First... don't put in your head "every district is different" just yet Districts TRY to do things differently but IDEA Federal laws are the same in EVERY state Keep that in mind or you may get pushed around when you least expected it. What I would focus on is LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) for YOUR child and what is approrpriate for YOUR daughter. What is her present level of performance. There is nothing wrong with full inclusion with supports and really, there is nothing wrong with self contained with pull outs to the kindy room.. it all depends on the child. I'd rather a child START with more inclusion time and pull outs to the sped room first before trying the other way.. IF the child can handle it. Is the sped room full day? Kindy half day? You can request inclusion/kindy in the AM and sped room in the PM even. Don't let them tell you this is NOT an option.. it IS and it's based on your child's needs not what the district has to offer Trust me..it IS an option. What is your ex's reasoning behind a MORE restrictive environment for your daughter? Does he think the kindy class would be too much? He wanting to not push her? On the surface, more inclusion would be LRE which is how the law reads....not more restrictive from the get go. I'd document things in writing and maybe write down your daughter's strengths and maybe what she does at home that she is independent with..show that she is ready for the inclusion with maybe some pull outs... do it that way.. why not! And remember... it's never etched in stone a child's placement and supports on an IEP. So, they can be tweaked and changed if need be Good luck! A.
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