which is good option for 3 year old autistic (join in Barnard school or strong start services)

[Anonymous]

hello all,
my daughter Is 2 years 11 month old who is moderately autistic. Strong start will start aba therapies from next week. We got seat in Barnard elementary school for pre k 3 special education.
anybody has idea about Barnard elementary school special education .Because of my kid age we are afraid of sending her to school.

please give me suggestion about public school or strong start services good for 3 year old.

[Anonymous]

Will Strong Start even provide services once she is eligible for public school? Make sure you check.

[Anonymous]

Yes strong start give us an option that they will provide free services till next year august if we don't choose public school this year

[Anonymous]

please give me a suggestion

[Anonymous]

I'd stick with strong start unless you need your child in a full time program.

if you aren't happy, you can be placed in an early stages space at any time next year.

[Anonymous]

have an outside therapist to check out the program.

[Anonymous]

I would inquire more about the program at Barnard. I think (but am not sure) that it's part of the DCPS CES classrooms, which are fully segregated (class is all autistic or other high needs special ed kids, no NT kids). I think it's open to debate whether that educational model is better for preschoolers than an inclusion program.

Has your child been in preschool or daycare already, and if so, how did it work out for her? If such an environment was pleasant for your child, I would, personally, be hesitant to put her in a completely segregated environment because kids can learn a lot from their NT peers at this age. Perhaps your child could instead be in the general ed classroom at Barnard with push in and pull out ABA therapy (provided by a special ed teacher, and required in your IEP)? It is possible that Early Stages will not approve such an arrangement, but you can ask.

If your daughter has never been in preschool or daycare, and if you can afford it, you could take the Strong Start services this year and add in time in a cooperative preschool or playgroup with NT kids to see how she does and that can inform what sort of program you try to get her into for PK4. I'd try to test how she can handle an inclusion environment before agreeing to put her in a full day segregated environment.

Of course, other reasonable minds may differ on this, but that is what myself and some other parents of ASD preschoolers I know have tried to do. I'd love to hear how it works out, too ... I have child of a similar age with ASD and we are going to try PK3 at Bridges in the general ed classrooms with push in and pull out special ed services. But my child has been doing OK in a daycare with NT toddlers so we are trying to build on that the experience. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much. My daughter is at home only. She didn't go to any day care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you so much. My daughter is at home only. She didn't go to any day care.

PP here. If I were you, and if I didn't have to work, I would keep the child home with me, do all the therapy Strong Start offers you, and add in therapeutic activities (Strong Start has free therapeutic playgroups, and other organizations may have them too) and daily social activities with NT kids. There is a cooperative preschool/playgroup program at DC rec centers and the cost is quite low (may even be sliding scale). Look into this. It's mornings only and would give your daughter some time with NT kids every weekday. (Don't worry if the other kids are a little younger than her, if she has social and language delays she will probably relate to younger kids better than ones her own age.) If your daughter is too old for that, maybe you can join a neighborhood playgroup, or a private part time playgroup/preschool? Honestly, this is going to be a lot of work for you to manage and coordinate, but if I didn't have to work outside the home and I was in your situation it is what I would try to do.

You may find that your daughter cannot handle/doesn't do well in the inclusion settings, or that you don't feel like she's making any/enough progress. Then talk to Strong Start about moving her to a full time autism/special ed classroom in DCPS. You should have therapists and a services coordinator assigned to you by Strong Start and this team can help you decide if you've got your daughter in the right environment. Good luck. I feel like all of us are just learning about this as we go along, doing trial and error . . .

[Anonymous]

Once again thank you so much .I am not going to any work. Now my job is to help my kid only. We will continue with strong start services and I will try to go to parks and library with my kid daily.These days my kid sensory problems reduced. She is enjoying outside.Next year we will join her in school.