OP I have 3 children in a top private and one who was initially diagnosed w/ sensory issues and now will likely be getting an ASD diagnosis. Do not do this to your child. It will be a tricky road and, even if accepted for pre-k, will likely be counseled out by the end of lower school. I’d find more of a progressive private that is a middle ground bt rigorous and special needs. Something like burgundy farm

There is a huge gap between “top” preK and public.

You should be focused on finding a preschool for your child which supports them, including any behavior skills they need to work on.

Hitting and difficulty with transitions will be screened out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know but I feel like the difference between 2 & 3 for the behaviors you’re talking about is night and day. You may find he’s very different when it’s time to apply for pre-K.

OP we had noticed a series of sensory issues ourselves. Although he does not show other signs of autism we will also schedule an appointment for him to be evaluated but the waitlists in our area are 6 months to a year so we will not get a definitive answer for a while. maybe it’s for the better. I am fairly certain with an autism diagnosis, no good private preK would accept him.

Could also be something like ADHD. Our kid who had sensory issues and inability to transition at 2 was diagnosed w/severe ADHD at 5. Medication btw has been a game changer. Honestly, if you're interested in a private I'd keep working with OT as it can help a lot and keep being very deliberate with your thought process. You don't want to be counseled out. It could really effect your kid. Mine talked about it constantly for a solid year. He's doing really well now but not waiting until we had things figured out was the worst mistake we made.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know but I feel like the difference between 2 & 3 for the behaviors you’re talking about is night and day. You may find he’s very different when it’s time to apply for pre-K.

OP we had noticed a series of sensory issues ourselves. Although he does not show other signs of autism we will also schedule an appointment for him to be evaluated but the waitlists in our area are 6 months to a year so we will not get a definitive answer for a while. maybe it’s for the better. I am fairly certain with an autism diagnosis, no good private preK would accept him.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure the program you are in is a good fit for your kid. A lot of 2 year olds can’t sit for long and will hit other kids. It’s something to work on but is totally normal.

OP Yes agreed though it was clear to us based on their feedback that he is the outlier in the class so he is more disruptive than his peers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sensory processing is not a diagnosis and it sounds like you need ot get your child evaluated with a real one. Any OT you will go to will say your child has it for a money grab.

Ignore this incorrect information...there is an anti-OT poster here who posts this all the time.

OP, I'd apply to the school and see what happens. Do you think this school is a good fit for your dc?

OP I think it is. But we were thinking maybe we should not apply until his issues are solved so that he does not get blacklisted if we need to reapply in the future.

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is still young but my guess most try to weed out these types of students. Even not so top pre-ks will, like Montessori. And your child can benefit most from being in an accepting environment so that is what I’d seek out. Loving, engaged teachers are most important.

OP Makes sense. And sensory issues are in some cases associated with autism, which top private preKs do try to screen out for. I read the preK recommendation letter and it’s essentially a way to screen out for autism. He does not show other autism signs but I guess they could be concerned that he has it and will likely not get in. Problem is we also don’t have any good public programs in our area so we would need to move to the suburbs.

Not sure the program you are in is a good fit for your kid. A lot of 2 year olds can’t sit for long and will hit other kids. It’s something to work on but is totally normal.

Anonymous wrote:Sensory processing is not a diagnosis and it sounds like you need ot get your child evaluated with a real one. Any OT you will go to will say your child has it for a money grab.

Ignore this incorrect information...there is an anti-OT poster here who posts this all the time.

OP, I'd apply to the school and see what happens. Do you think this school is a good fit for your dc?

Anonymous wrote:Sensory processing is not a diagnosis and it sounds like you need ot get your child evaluated with a real one. Any OT you will go to will say your child has it for a money grab.

This is debated and therapies are proven to help some of these kids. So unless you're a top therapist or researcher in this topic, maybe caveat you're opinion

Sensory processing is not a diagnosis and it sounds like you need ot get your child evaluated with a real one. Any OT you will go to will say your child has it for a money grab.

I don’t know but I feel like the difference between 2 & 3 for the behaviors you’re talking about is night and day. You may find he’s very different when it’s time to apply for pre-K.

Your kid is still young but my guess most try to weed out these types of students. Even not so top pre-ks will, like Montessori. And your child can benefit most from being in an accepting environment so that is what I’d seek out. Loving, engaged teachers are most important.

Kid is 2 and has sensory processing issues that have not been well-received in his 2s program class. Issues have included limited ability to sit still compared to some peers, a few instances of hitting other kids, difficulty with transitions. We have started OT after an evaluation and he has been found to have some sensory issues. Should we even bother applying to top private pre-K or do such kids get screened out?