Reply to Fighting school district re: FAPE and LRE for preschooler. Anyone experienced this?

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Reply to "Fighting school district re: FAPE and LRE for preschooler. Anyone experienced this?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In MCPS, there is PEP Itinerant, where a special education teacher visits a child's typical preschool classroom a couple of hours per week.  MCPS pays for the special education teacher to visit (and any related service providers to visit) and the family pays for the private preschool. MCPS is not paying for the preschool but is providing IEP services in the LRE in that case. I believe that's all the law requires...[/quote]

PEP Itinerant may be the best option in this case.

I just want to say that I've worked with so many families that worry about exposure to typical peers at this age. There are a couple of things that we discuss in that situation. Is the child getting any other peer exposure in their life? Most preschool programs are half day and allow for sports, classes, and playing with neighborhood children. Opportunities don't have to happen exclusively at school. Does the child have the ability to benefit from typical peers? I can't tell you how many private preschools that I've gone into where the child that I'm observing might as well be in the room alone. Proximity to peers means nothing if the child doesn't have the skills, competence, and desire to interact and learn from them in a way that is positive for both children. Is a short term classroom (such as PEP from 3-4) without typical peers that gives more support more beneficial now, to hopefully lead to a less restrictive kindergarten placement? Or is the area of weakness primarily/just in social skills/pragmatics, and peers are the main focus of the services?

Peer interaction and social skills are hugely important, but moreso at 5 than at 3. If a child has the chance to gain more skills and have more positive outcomes with peers a year or two later rather than frustrating ones leading to feelings of self-doubt and aversion, I'm always going to choose that option. Every child is different and needs different things, but that has been my experience over the years. I hope, OP, that you won't write off the services that the county wants to provide to give your child the best chance that they can because it's not your ideal classroom for your child. There is no ideal classroom for any child in any school system. And again, you can always take charge of your child's learning and focus on the social piece outside of school if you think your child needs something more or different, just as you would if you felt they needed help/more opportunities for growth in math class, for example.[/quote]

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