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Preschool and Daycare Discussion
moving to Bethesda w/ special needs 3yo - looking for "integrated" preschool class for fall 2010
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Anonymous
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Hi-
My husband and I are moving to Bethesda, MD from Brooklyn in September 2010 and we'd love an "integrated" preschool class for our son (3 years old in May). Here in Brooklyn, he has received speech, occupational therapy and special instruction for the last year and a half for sensory and focus issues. He has a language delay and will need OT and speech for the next year at least. His providers here are recommending an integrated class (half kids with speech and focus delays and half kids without). I believe it is called "collaboration" down there. I am calling the PEP program tomorrow and since I have heard it is hard to get anyone on the phone, I have a few questions I thought you might be able to answer: - How do we start the evaluation process there, how do we get into the "system"? He is being evaluated in brooklyn next week, so he will have an IEP to bring with us. - We have heard great things about Montgomery Knolls. What are the deadlines for the schools? Do we have to apply to the schools first and then have the meeting with the state people later? When are open houses to visit the schools? Any recommendations for schools that have these kind of classes? - How do we find out what schools are in our "zone"? Sorry to be so clueless! I feel like I just got used to the NYC system and now we are leaving. We won't be residents until August 2010 but we could move in June 2010 if necessary to establish residency. Any help would be so greatly appreciated, as well as direction to sites online that may also be helpful. Thank you, Julia |
Anonymous
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Karasik in Silver Spring is an excellent and affordable choice. It is an inclusion program that's run by the Arc of Montgomery. It's very close to Bethesda...about 1 exit away by beltway (5 minutes) or 15 minutes on backroads if the traffic is bad (crossing over 495 using Forest Glen Rd). You should definitely consider it. Give the director a call and you may decide it's worth the ride out of Bethesda.
Your child can have all therapy needed while at school and I know they do tons of activities in their daily lessons to help with sensory issues. |
Anonymous
| thank you so much! |
Anonymous
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8:58 poster again...
I meant to explain that by inclusion program I did mean that typical and special needs children are in the same classroom. |
Anonymous
| You also might check out Ivymount School in Potomac on Seven Locks Rd.. |
Anonymous
OK PEP Pilot meets twice a week with kids half with IEP, half typical children. Only 5 hours a week for that program. And if your child receives all that special therapy and he is taken out of class for it, there will not be much time with the class. PEP Classic - 12.5 hours a week, mornings for 3 year olds T-F, 15 hours a week for 4 year olds (in the afternoon M-F). There is no deadline to get into PEP programs, your child becomes eligible when he turns 3. Many transition from infants and toddlers program (my child is in infants and toddlers and we are starting the transition). Sorry don't know about residency requirements, but I would certainly call and inquire. Where you live in Bethesda will dictate where your child will go to school, so it won't be Montgomery Knolls which is in Silver Spring. I also live in Silver Spring, west of the school and in the same zipcode, but still our local school is not Montgomery Knolls. They decide each year where to send the kids so that the number of children in each school will be the right number, so you don't have too many children in any one school. You can sign up to visit PEP classes. They have visitor days once a month and it changes schools each month, so you may not get a chance to visit the school your child will attend until he is assigned to the school. PEP collaborative, ask when you call. I just visited Montgomery Knolls, they talked about Collaborative, but I think it is in the afternoon for 4 year olds. There are also other programs which they don't tell you about unless you complain and say you don't think the program they suggest will suit your child. I am in this process right now. I visited a PEP program in Rockville where the students in PEP Classic looked and acted pretty normal, just like my son. I visited the PEP Classic at Montgomery Knolls and the children in that class looked and acted much more disabled than the Rockville School. But it changes from year to year so there is no way of knowing what the next year may bring. But half the class did not seem to participate in the activities. I was so aghast I called our service provider to see what other options there are. I just visited last Thursday, so that is how recent I am referring about. I was also not happy with the number of hours the 4 year old attend. 15 hours a week - in the afternoons. Typical children in pre-K go 16-20 hours a week and mostly the morning when they are not tired. I think my son will still be napping when he is 4 (or like to be napping). He is an early riser. I don't think Ivymount is what you are looking for but no harm in checking it out. I think it is for multiply handicapped children. I have a friend who used to teach there. Schools in your zone. If you go the public route, PEP decides where your child will go. I don't know about private, call childfind in Maryland to get information. but if you don't have an address in Bethesda I don't know how they can help you. They will be trying to find schools close to you. You might want to see if your IEP will transfer or they will have to evaluate your child again. That may make the difference between you needing to be in Maryland in June vs. August. |
Anonymous
| The new Easter Seals center in downtown SS (Very close to bethesda) has an integrated program |