ASD and Pre-school

Ashlee - posted on 01/31/2010

Thanks everyone!! I am feeling more comfortable with the idea and really just want to do what is best for my son!

Jodi - posted on 01/08/2010

YES!!! My son is 3 also and has ASD as well. He has recently started talking and I believe it is from school. He goes to a special autism school 3 mornings a week and the other 2 days he goes to preschool and absolutely loves it. It is really good for kids with ASD to have a schedule and I think your son will really enjoy school. It seems scary at first, but we are very grateful with all his progress.

Lindsay - posted on 01/08/2010

My son is 4 and has been at nursery for a year and has just started in reception (full time school). It has been wonderful for him. He has made SO much progress since he has been there and he settled SO much at home as well, so has generally made life a lot easier on all of us. I will say though, that it's not always been a walk in the park. Separation was difficult and continues to be so, but just not so desperately. Some days I have to walk away with him crying out for me and it's not easy, but I know that he settles quickly and loves his time there.

It has been the best thing I could have done for him. He gets access to all sorts of professionals now and he's thriving on it all!

Hope it all goes well xx



Forgot to say.. Alfie attends a mainstream school...

Holly - posted on 01/08/2010

Hi Ashlee, I was also worried when our son, now 7, typical little boy left for preschool. We never leave our kids either, and i had bad panic attacks. You are feeling what alot of us feel. Even when our children dont have autism. We are all alot more alike than we think! Another thing, I was a follow along for a little boy with autism, and now work with him in his home on wk. ends. This will open doors you never knew where there, and open you ,and you little boy ,and husband to opportunities, ideas, people,and yes FRIENDS for you ,and your child. I started when this little boy was 21/2, and he is now 13. We have built a great friendship,and hopefully yours will do the same. Though we are years apart he's 13,and i am 31, i am so proud to call him my FRIEND! Good luck guys!!!!

Christina - posted on 01/08/2010

My son turns 3 in February as well. I'm really nervous about sending him to school. I'm a stay at home mom. Even when we go out and my husband has him if I go off to far he starts to cry. So I'm worried about sending him to school. He has ABA services at home right now. The tutors tell me that its the best thing for him. I'm just hoping it goes smoothly for the both of us!

Leighann - posted on 01/07/2010

My son is in a typical preschool for 3 hrs and then he goes to a autism preschool for 3 hrs. He will also be 3 in Feb. He didn't talk until we changed his diet. He is on a gluten/casein free diet which helped alot. He was diagnosed at 20 months w/ autism. He has had speech, PT, OT, MT, TSS, and play/art therapist. He has now tested in the above average range (meaning he is at the same level as his peers). Just keep fighting for your son and do whatever you can to get him into therapy. It will help him in every level of his autism.

Ashley - posted on 01/06/2010

My son is gonna be three on Sunday. He started pre-school on Monday and honestly he could have cared less that i wasn't there. I was a stay at home mom for most of his three years and missed him immensely. His first day i called the school to make sure he was all right, i was so worried he would tantrum all day and the school would tell me to come get him but to my dismay the teacher said that he wasn't crying at all and very much enjoyed it. Ayden also has very little verbal communication he is still at the babbling stage and only makes 3 or 4 sounds. He has been getting speech therepy since he was 15 months old 3-5 days a week. So do not become discouraged if he does not become instantly verbal. They had to try several techniques with Ayden to get him to communicate at all. We tried pointing at first which helped me a lot because he wouldn't point he would just whine and i would have to figure out what he wanted. then they tried sign and after almost 2 years he only does Please. but all his therepists have told me that he will make excellent progress in pre-school. So i highly recommend sending him.

Renee - posted on 01/03/2010

Ashlee - I am in Phoenix, AZ. I would also encourage you to make friends with the other moms of the kids in the class. You will find support there too. At least I did. I also knew what school my son was going to attend for kindergarten and because it was a different school and my daughter was already attending I joined the PTA so that I could make some in-roads when it was time for my son to attend. It really helped. I had the principal on my side too which is a big plus. You may not have the time or energy to do all that but I have to say my hard work paid off, the school has an entire special needs staff now to help all the special needs kids and my son has an aide that shadows him all day and keeps him safe and on track.

Ashlee - posted on 01/03/2010

Renee thanks. I do not know anyone where I am that has a child with ASD and I am really excited to hear that it will help my son. I am starting to look forward to it!

Sheila - posted on 01/03/2010

Hi Ashlee,

My son went to a wonderful nursery school. there he had a resource teacher who supported him, and the two nursery school teachers. It was a class of ten, mixed with typical and atypical children. It definitely helps to prepare for kindergarten...just knowing that you go somewhere, and there are routines that are followed.

As well, the resource teacher helped with the transition to JK (in Ontario) and people from our school board came to observe him at the nursery school to assess his level of need for when he went to JK. In my county, the best way to know that your child will receive support in JK/SK is to have accessed the resource teacher program through Community and Social Services Pre-school services!

Sheila

Renee - posted on 01/03/2010

Yes and YES! Yes my son attended developmental preschool for autism at the local elementary school. It was the best thing for him and me. He was 4 years old and had just been diagnosed with autism. He did so much better, they are on a schedule and he learned to interact with kids NOT on the spectrum. There were typical kids as well in the classroom. It got him prepared for kindergarten and he has been in a mainstream class since kindergarten, he's now in 2nd grade and doing great. You must let him do this I struggled DAILY with this, I was a stay at home mom and hated the thought of him going but it was the best thing I did for him.