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Post by meghans_mom on Nov 17, 2004 6:16:25 GMT -5
A - our school has very new special ed...ie - up until 10 yrs ago kids were bussed out of the district (probably still an option) and the choices for MM aside from that are regular kindy (1/2 day, I think?, can't remember) or a self-contained classroom made up of almost all kids w/ autism (at this point)...I would like to see her in the regular classroom, maybe with an aide...but I really don't know where MM will be in 2 years. Most likely we're moving out of this district before MM starts school so the whole point is moot :-D The other districts we're looking at have different options and way more experience w/ special ed...so we'll see. laurie
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 17, 2004 9:19:38 GMT -5
Thanks some of you for clarifying. That is why I asked. Because if we are talking "typical" kindy with probably an aide or whatever, I would think the thought of holding back a year would be there depending on just where your child is and how much they are REALLY going to accomodate (not on paper (IEP) but truly)... but if your child is going onto a "self contained" spec ed Kindy class, I wouldn't see the point in hold your child back another year. Their peers would be around the same level give or take in that kind of setting. JMO... OH... and after reading where some of your 4 and 5 yr olds are and where you THINK they NEED to be for a typical kindy.. don't sell yourself short nor your childs... I don't think there is the magical place your child must be in order to handle kindy. For some kids, holding them back another year in EC may prove to be beneficial but sometimes, that other year may not be. Sometimes our kids need new environment and new challenges to excel. Another year of EC may just have your child level off in some cases. Most of you mention things that your kids CAN do but some of our others may NEVER do, so your kids could probably handle it at 5 and amaze you that they can! Keep that in mind when waying options. Don't hold them back for FEAR of them NOT doing well... they will do just fine! I know Kindy is a BIG step but it will be ok! A.
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Post by Alice on Nov 17, 2004 10:34:18 GMT -5
A. After reading your last post, I really do not know what to do. I agree with you that one more year may be not helpful at all and for Luke it will be 4th year in the same environment. I know that teachers love our Luke and enjoy having him at pre-school and they more then pleased to have him next year. I think we have to wait until the spring and see at what level he will be and make our final decision. Maybe will let him stay at kindy extra year... Thanks again to all for such helpful info, Alice
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Post by Mary_L. on Nov 17, 2004 10:47:21 GMT -5
Ok A.~I didn't think about Patrick leveling off if I kept him at his same school for one more year but that's definitely a concern. Oh my gosh~there's always so much to consider! Well, I have to say once again that this is why I love this place so much~it's great to get different viewpoints!
Mary
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 17, 2004 15:27:08 GMT -5
OH Gosh girls.. I didn't want to scare you LOL.. I was just kinda of posting my observations and my OWN personal opinion... so keep that in mind. I was trying to just make you think of EVERYTHING... NOT that they WILL level off.. they may not. I am so sorry, I didn't mean for my wrench to be thrown THAT far LOLOL! Alice, and anyone else that maybe facing this stuff, I would do this... I would wait until they turn 5 and you have that meeting discussing placement or possible hold back in EC. You might be AMAZED at where your child is at that time! I would also ask the schools in question for placement of your child, to come observe also. I would discuss your child's acheivements and what the other classes expect and talk to the teachers.. BEFORE you really make a decision. And keep in mind.. WE know our kids really well, and so do the teachers... listen to them AND yourself!!! The only reason I posted what I did, is that Russell has been in lots of different settings in his short 3 yrs of school. Some places he excelled in, some he did not. They were all sorts of different types of school settings. It took me along time to know that my gut was ALWAYS telling me what was best for Russell. I also realized that it was good for Russell to be held back that year until he was 6... and they questioned the placement I wanted for Kindy this year, because they thought it was going to be over his head. Russell was "on the fence" for lots of things and I pushed with the new challenging environment anyway, knowing the push wasn't TOO far of a stretch and it was the next step, even though they disagreed. And Russell is THRIVING daily!!! IF, I would have placed Russell in a different school that was the SAME setting he was previously in for almost 2 yrs (at 2 different places) I don't think he would have benefitted from it anymore (hence, the leveling off). The setting Russell was in was VERY important for his developement at the time, but since he brings Autism and Vision probs to the table, that setting was not going to always be beneficial for him. Gosh, another year of the same setting, even with a new teacher and school would have done NOTHING for Russell's getting to the "next level". So that is why I posted what I did. They all questioned Russell and his ability and he has really shown them he does understand and can handle the challenge. (they wouldn't have had a choice though LMAO!) His teacher even gets teary eyed now, knowing even SHE doubted the placement in her class, and she said she'd give up some of the kdis, but NEVER Russell... I am NOT an expert.. but Russell has been in 5 schools in 3 yrs. That is alot. So I just have seen different teachers, environments and what works and what doesn't for Russell. I am sorry if I made your contemplation even harder. Just keep your eyes open, look at all the options and make sure EVERYONE involved gets to see your child! You will know what is right for your child.. and don't sell your child short! I am trying to separate your motherly fears from your child's possible acheivements. A.
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Post by ashliesmomheidi on Nov 18, 2004 14:44:07 GMT -5
A- Is right It does depend on placement and I do agree there is no magical place for our kiddos. Ashlie has always been mainstreamed with SPED Pullout and a One on One Aide so it has always worked out with us and I even got to choose which teacher she had Deborah- Ashlie's speech was and is always a concern for me, They wanted to drop her ST but I refused!! She gets it ST everyday and its always been PullOut from her Classroom so she doesnt get distracted, lol Let me know what you think after touring the schools, Thats always great when you have more than one option!
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Post by vickieg on Nov 25, 2004 9:03:02 GMT -5
Hi, I havnt had time to post in a long time. But Amber turned 6 this Oct so she was supposed to start Kindy this year. We decided to hold her back this year in pre k. Amber is also hearing impaired and received a Chochlear implant in April. She is doing wonderful she is reconizing sounds and voices. Her vocalization is expanding with each day. It was the right decision to hold her back. She knew all the basic of ABC, #, her name. Giving her this extra year of still being in a smaller class of 8 gave her more one on one time to practice on her writing. Amber will be ready for the general Kindy class next year. What we plan on doing is she will goto the prek class in the AM I will pick her up and take her home for lunch. In the PM she will goto the Kindy class. She will be pulled out of the Pre k class for all her therapies. I didnt want her taken out of the Kindy class. She will have an interpretor with her for the Kindy class, Amber is also not fully potty trained. This worked for us holding her back. Vickie
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Post by anand on Nov 26, 2004 7:07:23 GMT -5
Hi Alice, My son Andrew went to two years of Pre-school in our school district and the program was only for children with disabilities. He only had three other children who were mostly non-verbal in his class both years. I couldn't wait for him to be at our home school and start kindy even though he was only five the previous April.
Andrew spent half day in kindy and the other half in Alternative Academics (spec. ed). He did well and his speech improved so much last year. I think it is well worth sending our kids on to kindy just for the socialization and being around typical peers. He is repeating Kindergarten again this year with the same teacher and was almost totally mainstreamed except for therapies and maybe an hour in the AA class.
We started seeing some major frustration when it came to sitting down and learning to write so I had to ask the school to back off on him a little in this area. They have pulled him back to the AA classroom a little more which is OK with me. I just don't like him in AA too much because he is the highest functioning child in there and all the other children are non-verbal. He is in kindy for all of the social areas but I didn't like him sitting in time-out for his frustration and acting out. He is more like a four year old and is just now starting to scribble and color. Everyone says he has to learn to write but I feel he will in good time. He has to be ready and I know he will eventually write but at the present time he is concentrating on his verbal skills and they are coming along so nicely. The other night he said " I want to go" so clearly that we almost fell over in our astonishment. We were also trying to decide where to go to dinner and from the back seat we heard "chicken wings, watch TV" and he was requesting a wings restaurant that he likes. It was awesome.
Andrew is also small for his age so holding him back puts him a little closer in size to his peers. His speech continues to improve, he can read a little for example (I see the dog), he knows most of his letters and sounds, can count to twenty sometimes and can count objects to 11.
Andrew has an aide part of his time in kindy. There are certain times that the teacher can handle him and sends the aide back to the AA class. He does tend to run away sometimes so that is always a concern but overall he does really well.
Take care, Andrea
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Post by Claire on Nov 26, 2004 20:36:32 GMT -5
We are from a small town, so Adam started school at 5 but in a Jr and Sr. Kindergaten class mix. He stayed there for 2 years and this year he is 7 and going to grade 1 modified for 1/2 the day and back to Sr. Kindergaten for the afternoon. It seems to work fine for him at this point. He was always the oldest in the class but I don't think it mattered much to his peers.
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 28, 2004 11:54:03 GMT -5
Claire, your son didn't start the school system at 3 yrs old in a Early Childhood/preschool type class?
A.
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Post by Claire on Nov 28, 2004 21:37:23 GMT -5
No Adam went to a daycare form the age of 2 to 4 and 1/2 for 1/2 a day, 3 times a week. He was in a program called Scholl's Cool at the daycare for 2 years. This program initiates them for the routine of school. He may have been able to start school earlier but because he didn't walk until 5 and didn't sit until 3 and could not communicate at all until 4 we found it better for him to stay at the daycare with a one on one that we paid through our respite care allowance.
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 29, 2004 7:43:52 GMT -5
WOW, that is different. The state/school district should have paid for therapies through them. You shouldn't have had to use your respite. I figure the school district would have had to step in at 3, even if you kept your son where he was. That is what they should have done. I know it's done with now... and I understand why you kept him where you did, but I am just shocked that the school district didn't take any initiative. Or did they and you declined?
A.
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Post by Claire on Nov 30, 2004 18:48:21 GMT -5
We tried to get the school board to pay at least some of the expenses, I guess it may be different here in Canada. Anyway we were told that because there was already a Special Ed worker there they wouldn't pay. But this worker already had 6 kids to take care of and Adam needed one on one assistance for everything.
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Post by momofrussell on Nov 30, 2004 21:30:04 GMT -5
Oh Claire, I am SOOOO sorry to have bugged you with all these questions... I wouldn't have, had I known you lived in Canada LOLOL.. silly me! Well, that would make sense on why things are different. I thought you lived in the states and I was about ready to hope on a plane and BOP some school officials in the head for ya! Sorry I asked so many questions! A.
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Post by Claire on Nov 30, 2004 21:51:13 GMT -5
Thanks, it's ok. Sometimes I wish I could move in the States. ;D Don't be sorry it's nice to know you were ready to hop on a plane for me. ;D
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