I have no idea how to find a preschool or what to do next...

[Anonymous]

I'm completely confused by what should probably be a fairly easy step in parenting.

DS will be just-turned 3 in the fall. I'm a SAHM and always intended on having him in a 2-3 day, morning preschool when he was 3. Now is the time to be looking at programs and figuring out admissions, correct? The issue is that I have no idea how to find/identify a preschool that may be good with whatever special needs my son may have next fall.

Here's more info--within the past year we noticed a major speech delay and some gross motor issues. And a lot of mother instinct-peer-comparison-something-doesn't-seem-right. Long story short we started out with ITC in Fairfax County, were unimpressed with ST, and they glazed over the gross motor altogether. So I took him for a private eval and he now receives speech and OT 2X a week. His issues are delays in motor planning, gross motor coordination, balance, etc. He has low muscle tone. And sensory modulation difficulties in regards to vestibular processing. No one has ever written "Sensory Processing Disorder" on his eval, but when they first gave me the eval they receommended the Out of Synch Child book, gave me a brochure on SPD, etc. It surprised me a bit as my understanding of SPD all related to the tactile/auditory issues. I had no idea it also encompassed the gross motor issues.

He has responded well to his therapies. In 3 months he's already doing activities that he wouldn't even go near on the first day. He literally could not figure out how to go down a slide (and then ended up avoiding the process altogether when I'd try to help teach him). he was the child on the playground that wasn't interested and seemed scared. I actually liked learning about SPD as it finally gave me a better understanding/reason for his behaviors. Now, he climbs up and goes down many different slides at the various playgrounds we visit. He went from three words to having around 20 and really making an effort to approximate almost every word we use. Obviously he still has major delays in both speech and gross motor, but the therapy definitely has helped.

We are getting him evaluated with a developmental pediatrician in early Dec. There are a few behavioral issues that give me concerns. And honestly, I'm still not sure what the heck is going on. People keep recommending books and I haven't yet finished the two original books I bought about SPD. So, my to-read list is growing, but my need for action is also growing.

Obviously I'm having difficulty understanding the entire process. He is receiving services through an in-home resource teacher now w/Child Find and that has been a total joke. She's useless. I know there is a preschool for special needs children through Fairfax County, but there's no way I'd want him to go there with her being his teacher. NO way.

I'm looking forward to the developmental ped eval as I'm really hoping someone can give me a better idea of what 'this' is. I"m incredibly overwhelmed and anxious by the fact that I don't feel as if anyone is in control here. That should be me--as his mom--but I'm flailing around not sure what all of this means. I'm thrilled we finally got an appt. with a developmental ped as I'm desperate for a better picture.

But, how in the heck do I apply for preschools? I know that JCCC has a program that includes special needs and those without special needs, but it's much farther than I had planned on going.

Are there other programs like that in NoVA where he'd 'fit'?

I know this is rambling and confusing---frankly, that's how I feel my life is these days. Every week I want to outright ask his SLP and OT if they think he is showing signs of being on the spectrum--if that's what we're looking at, or if these motor and speech delays are not related to that---but every week I don't. Honestly, I'm too afraid I'll burst out into tears before I get the words out. I have asked what the root is, what the prognosis is, etc. and the answer is always 'we don't know' but in more therapeutic terms, of course. They pointed me to talk to a developmental pediatrician to get more info, so that's how I even began to try to get an appt. with one in the first place.

I'm in NoVA, Alexandria/Springfield area and I need preschool help!

[Anonymous]

Please don't judge the whole public school system by what you found with one incompetent person at Child Find.

For example, we found a couple of bad people through our county, but our DD has had a great experience in preschool through the county. Really, you might be selling your child way short.

[Anonymous]

I second the above poster's response. Also, keep in mind that even in this part of the county, there are quite a few preschool programs through FCPS, and, as I understand it, you have the right to refuse one in favor of another. (Please correct me if this isn't right; I don't want to relay the wrong information!) So even if this particular teacher was involved at one school, your son might find a spot at a different one.

We think the Child Find people at Virginia Hills are awesome, and I don't know what we'd have done without them.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I have no doubt there are great teachers in the public school system preschool.

But this particular person WOULD be his teacher. So that is why I'm not considering that option.

The times also confuse me with that program---she always presents it as a 5-day a week program. Assuming he's still in OT and ST, that takes up 2 mornings a week. So we'd only be able to do 3 mornings a week anyhow.

[Anonymous]

Please make sure your info is correct, OP.

It's hard to believe that the same in-home resource teacher for Child Find is also teaching the preschool class five days a week.

Finally, you can't get another time slot for his OT and ST?

[Anonymous]

In that size county there must be at least a dozen preschools with several teachers in each.

[Anonymous]

OP here--
She was the one who told me that we were zoned in her shool, he would be with her. Yes, she is there 5 days a week 8-1. Then she does her at-home resource visits between 2 and 3.

I have no idea if I can petition for him to go to another school---if that is the case, how do I know if I should do that, or which school to ask for?

How do I know if he should be in a special-needs only classroom or if a mixed environment would be appropriate?

[Anonymous]

OP again--
Am I off the mark in envisioning a 3-day a week preschool for a three year old?

Obviously I'm using my friends whose children did not/do not have any special needs as a comparison. Their children did 2 or 3 days a week, then at four moved up a day, etc.

And assuming he will continue to need ST/OT 2x a week (although how in the heck do I gauge that a year in advance?) it definitely made sense for me to look at 3-day programs, so that we'd leave the other two days for going to the therapy center.

I know evening time slots at the center are coveted---they've all been full since the moment I first called. We were able to get in to be seen as quickly as we did (which was a month wait) because we wanted/needed morning time slots. I'm sure schedules can be changed, but what I do not know is how to plan for that (and count on it) unless I know that a 5 day a week program is going to be what I should be doing.

I feel like thee was some handbook passed out along this journey that I missed as I have no idea what any of this should look like.

[Anonymous]

LEAP at U of MD if you are willing to do the drive (it is worth it for the speech help).

[Anonymous]

Check out Resurrection Children's Center in Alexandria City, if that isn't too far for you. Both my kids (one typical, one with special needs) went there and it was wonderful. Probably full for this year, but the open house for 2013-14 is probably in January. They do 3 days for 3yr. olds.

[Anonymous]

Do you stay home or work? If you use a daycare, choose a daycare in a different school area than where you live and fcps will bus him to and from the school the daycare is zoned for.

Both my kids attend the fcps non-cat preschool. Both their teachers are fantastic, and beyond that, the program in general is fantastic. Very structured, very low ratios, just awesome. I would give it a second look even if you have to go to the program with the teacher you don't love.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the Springfield/Burke area and my DD (2 1/2 yrs. old) goes to a non-cat. preschool through FCPS and we absolutely LOVE her teacher and the program. I was much like you when they first proposed 5 days a week (I'm a SAHM and couldn't imagine parting from her that much so soon...) but really, Mondays are "short" day, so she gets out around 11:15am. She receives OT and ST while at preschool. They pull her out of class once a week for ST and once a week for OT. I also do private ST once a week with a prompt certified SLP. We go straight from preschool to ST once a week, and then home for a nap. I sort of got quilted into putting her in 5 days a week, but it has turned out to be great for us. She really needed the daily routine and structure of a 5 day program. I remember when we were transitioning from EI to child find I was very nervous about the program, but our ST at the time through EI assured me that if it wasn't a good fit, we could petition to get her into a different class or even a different school. I was worried that there wouldn't be enough kids in her class that are talking or at her level... but it turned out to be a good fit for us, so I didn't look further into how hard it is to switch to another class/school. You could approach it that way with the resource teacher if you wanted to get more information about switching, but didn't want to let on that it's about her..

[Anonymous]

OP here--
Thanks very much to all for their input.

Can those of you who have (or have had) children in the FCPS preschool program tell me a bit more about how you got there? Did you seek it out or was it recommended for your child through a ChildFind evaluation? At what age did your child start, etc.

One piece of info that I clarified was that if I do decide that this is the program we think is best, we don't need to decide that a year out. We can wait until next summer (or even next fall) as it's a rolling admission, which I wasn't clear on. So that does take some of the stress away---

One friend reommended applying at other schools if I find one(s) I like and that would fit what needs my son has now and even makng deposits if financially it's not burdensome--knowing that it's easier to back out (losing deposit of course) if next fall rolls around and his issues are of the caliber that would prevent him from being in a private program.

I wonder if anyone has done that?

[Anonymous]

20:52 here. We ended up in the fcps non-cat preschool program because I was not thrilled with the home-based ITC services so I found out the soonest I could switch my kids over to the school system, which was the Sept. after their 2nd birthday.

My oldest was 32 months when she started, and my youngest was 30 months when he started.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you tried to get services through your insurance. Ours will pay for speech and occupational therapy. The speech was not worth it so we private pay but it is an option.