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My son was a 25 weeker and will be 3 in nov , we had our eval with help me grow today to get a plan together for the fall. She asked if I wanted head start or preschool . I said a littile unwilling, preschool. I'm worried about him getting sick. This winter has been hard on him. We haven't even started potty training. He just started speech so talking is getting better but we have a long way to go. Any advice or storys will help thanks
When my daughter aged out of Early Steps we were offered pre school as well. I chose not to simply because of her immune system (ex 23 weeker bpd and ph). So through services from our public school system, a pre-school teacher came to the house 3 times a week to work with my daughter. The teacher quickly realized that my daughter didnt need actual academics, if you will, of preschool because she knew everything the teacher was trying to teach, she needed the social skills. There were 3 other medically fragile children in our neighborhood that received at home services, the other mothers, myself and pre-school teacher alternated homes in which the class was held to try to give our children the socailization aspect of it as well.
If this service was not offered, I would not have sent my daughter to pre-school at the school. Although her speech was great, some of it still needed parent translation. As far as potty training, they taught that at the school. You just had to make sure your child wore pants with elastic, no zippers or buttons.
I dont know if this helps, but thats our story ;-)
Good luck
Yolonda
Hi, I don't actually have advise...I have a question...Will my daughters been eligible for these types of things? Mine were born at 29 weeks and are enrolled in ECI. Not sure if this matters, but to give all info...We are paying for the service with our insurance. If our insurance stops paying - we will be charged a monthly fee that covers all services provided (due to income limits). Not sure if this was something for the micro-preemies and maybe mine being born later would exclude them?? Just not familiar with any of this and wondered if I needed to start making myself more familiar with different services, etc. I am just not sure where to start and when to start or if they'd even be considered, etc. Thanks in advance for ANY info. Thanks for allowing me to inquire!! Good luck with your decision:)
My daughter, former 26 weeker, turned 3 last december and we just started preschool a couple weeks ago. She has not had any ongoing lung or immunity problems so we were not too worried about her being exposed to the germs. We were not offered any services since she aged out of EI so we just found a private preschool that we liked and registered her there. She's going Mon., Wed., and Fri. from 9 am till noon. She is going mainly for social reasons but since she is still so small in comparison to her peers and she's not fully potty trained, we opted to have her stay with the 2 year old class for the first cople of months. Even most of them tower over her!
She has had a lot of feeding/weight gain issues so we have her staying at school for lunch because we want her to have the social-eating interaction. The teacher says that she doesn't ever eat anything but "encourages" the other kids to try all of the different foods ;)
Hopefully we will soon see some progress in that area!
I hope this helps, good luck!
Well in the state we lived in, I am not sure if the gestational age was a factor or not for the program. My daughter's medical history made her a candidate for the particular program that she was in. And actually, once she started to attend school full time, she would have still be in this particular program eventhough she would attend school in classroom setting. Reason being, just in case she was ever hospitalized for any amount of time, or if winter was particular brutal with back to back illnesses, the in home school would start back up 3 times a week.
I dont know that your paying out of pocket makes a difference in rather you would receive the services if they are offered. Eventually your children are going to age out, and then at that point their therapies will be transferred to a public school system, unless you decided to continue to pay out of pocket (at least thats how it worked for us). You should speak with your care coordinator about getting an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for your children if it is offered in your state.
I'm not sure we don't have that. Ian gets help threw what we call Help me Grow. Because of him being a mico preemie and our income. The took up after we got released for the nicu. he got ot threw them and now speech. I also keep them updated on all Ian's other doc, Lung and Eye. My advice is always ask questions someone will have an answer somewhere.
IanMommy and Yolanda,
Thanks so much for the info!! I will have to ask the PT (not tooo sure I'd get much info from our ST;) when she is here next. I just assumed we'd have to have a private preschool for them. I will have to look into that more closely. I appreciate your time and input! Have a wonderful evening!! Good luck with your little ones!!!
We started our twins in a special program at our local elementary school about 6 weeks ago. They have done very well. Only sick once! I was also concerned since they had been at home since birth. They were 27 weekers.Both have language delays. I will tell you that my son whose language delay is severe came home after the fist day saying "the bus" which they get on every morning. Scary! But it has been great! They have a special ed teacher, speech therapy with a speech pathologist and they are doing so much better. They still have the delay but have seen a huge improvement they start at 930 am and end at 330am. It really has been god sent, its free and the kids in their class really interact with them. I would say "do it". They have to grow immunities some day.
Hi, I'm in the same boat as you! My 24 weeker just turned three. He had an eval with the school district and didn't qualify for early start, so they recommended preschool. And, we haven't started potty training either... he's not ready! And we've had massive changes, we moved from Dallas to Houston and Carter got a sister last April which was a HUGE adjustment for him. Carter was also delayed in speech as well, but has pretty much caught up, just needs help with articulation, which I was advised preschool was a good next step for him. I think he's ready, he has a backpack and likes to put in on and act like he's going to school. So, we start in the summer, we shall see how it goes!! I'm nervous, but in my heart I know he's ready.
From the social perspective, we'd really like to put our son in preschool. Our son had lung issues (was on oxygen until 4 months adjusted) so we've had to play it cautious on going out and about the past 1.5 years that he's been home. We're almost through our second RSV season. We didn't have to be quite as cautious this past season as the first b/c (1) he's bigger, and (2) the RSV cases in our county were minimal until January (when there was an explosion of reports).
We are looking forward to getting him involved in some play groups this summer at the very least. I certainly don't want to put him into preschool until he is potty trained. I suspect that we'll have a nanny for him one more year. And then we'll try to arrange for some play groups throughout the year even when it is RSV season, but make it a situation where we have more control than a full school setting.
Our daughter recently turned 4 so has been going to preschool since this past September. We've been sending her to two different situations to determine which we would like to continue.
We've been sending her to the public preschool through her IEP 4 days per week (but much less in the winter because she is sick so much.) I have spent time in that classroom and find it to be stressful for her to be around kids with much greater delays and difficulties than she has. Half the class are "typically developing kids" that are supposed to be the model for the other half, who are not "typically developing." In my observation there was not much mixture between the two halves, unless the teachers require it by assigning kids to groups for play. I have very mixed feelings about the class, but when she is not sick I usually take her to school. Fortunately, this public school does not have attendance goals or requirements for this age group, but we were living in a different district last year that did require .
The alternative school that we've been taking her to is a Waldorf preschool class 1 day a week where parents also attend with the child (as well as any younger siblings). We have learned a lot there, particularly for ways of coping with her sensory sensitivity. They also have many wonderful ideas for childcare and activities that our daughter has loved. She is naive, perhaps from her developmental delays, and when they tell a magical story she really believes in it and loves it.
There aren't a lot of Waldorf schools everywhere, but it's worth looking into. I don't think Waldorf is for everyone though, as they have strong educational philosophies, many of which are out of fashion right now. For example, they take the position that kids are better off at home with loving family members through about age 4 or 5, if possible, rather than being sent to school.
Many Waldorf ideas that we have used for coping with sensory issues have made a huge improvement for us. A lot of good ideas are available in this "Simplicity Parenting" lecture at http://www.thechildtoday.org.
I don't think ian is like other kids his age but then he was early so . They called today we have to go to our local school to interview then with the school he would go to
my daughter isn't quite old enough for preschool yet, but my husband and i are already starting to think about when and where we'd like to enroll her. from a social interaction perspective, i'd love for her to be in preschool...but it will all depend on if we feel that the structure of a school setting will benefit her or if it would just be in her best interest to arrange for more casual interactions through gymboree, play groups, etc. i agree with katek in wanting to wait until she's potty trained.
laurakennedy77: it sounds like your daughter and mine are in the same boat. my daughter has some feeding issues as well and i am also hoping that she'll be encouraged to eat when she's exposed to more social-eating interaction. sometimes i have to wonder how much of her lack of progression in feeding skills is due to actual delays and how much is due to behavioral issues?
My son is a former 26 weeker who was in Help Me Grow since we brought him home when he was 4 months old. We did the once a week school, then the toddler school until he aged out at 3. He qualified for "preschool" through our local school district because he is hearing impaired and needs special services. This has been the best thing! Obviously we had some of the same concerns about enrolling him, but I do not regret it a bit.
There are about 7 - 10 kids in his class. He goes for 2 1/2 hours Monday thru Thursday. He was the only 3 year old, every one else was 4, 5, or 6. He loves being around older kids so this was not an issue for us. In fact I think it pushed him to try harder. He is not potty trained because he had to have some urology surgeries. That is our goal for this summer now that he is recovered and shouldn't need any more.
We just had his IEP this morning to set his goals for next year. His teacher, the principal, and another guy were in there to discuss our concerns. Last year our HMG teacher sat in on his first IEP to help write his goals since she sees him in a different setting than us.
We did have some issues with him getting sick. In fact I asked his Pediatrician what she thought about sending him to school because he does have some lung issues. She thought it would be a good idea for many different reasons. Her take on him getting sick was that he needs to start building up his immune system sometime. I'd rather him miss school when he is younger when it might not be as noticeable as to when he is older.
He has always been a social little guy so we weren't concerned about that. The first day of school the kids asked about his hearing aids, accepted what was explained and do not treat him any different. It's neat to see him with his friends and listening to him talk about them at home.
Good luck on your decision!
Jodi
I agree with the Waldorf Idea enthusiastically. Consider researching other curriculum styles - like Charlotte Mason and Montessori. Also ~ playgroups so you can choose to opt in or out and not have to deal with attendance requirements or staff you may not be thrilled about. Contrary to popular belief 'socialization' can come from a great variety of sources and need not be limited to the public school room. As they get older you may find that frustration others here have hinted about when dealing with 'special needs' programs. My exp with that was not pleasant and I suggest anyone considering such things become very well educated in the laws in your state/province concerning special ed and you and your children's rights under the law. I also suggest find yourself respected private or non-profit (and non public system funded) advocate organizations early. Be prepared to really stand up for your child in the system. You may also want to be aware of every possible alternative to the public system in your area including homeschooling. It never hurts to be aware and informed. From my exp you need all the info you can get to be empowered to help your child through their education. I am really passionate about this topic. As I mentioned my exp and more importantly my children's exp - could have been MUCH MUCH better. I wish I had known to prepare myself prior to initial enrollment! I post this in hopes that you and others will not have the neg exp that we did. Remember that anything you feel you don't have time for researching or handling are likely the things that the staff are twice as reluctant to look at because they feel too busy and your child is just another in the class/school. Their day/year with your child comes to an end. For you and your child its a lifetime. Being informed is key!
Best wishes
My son is a 24 weeker. We strarted preschool in the fall before he turned 2 (he was 22 months - 18 adjusted). He goes one day a week. His pediatrician is actually the one who recommended we start so he could be exposed to "good germs". He has had a few colds but nothing else. If you decide to do it, I would just make sure the preschool knows your son's history and make sure you are comfortable with their policys on handwashing/diaper changes, etc. It's been a great experience for my son - he has come a long way with speech, eating, and social skills. Now I never would have sent him at this age if he'd ever had issues with his lungs. Good luck!
I held off on three year preschool for many of the reasons other moms listed, plus I just liked having him home with me. Why rush it? He is know finishing up 4 yr old preschool now. At first it took a little adjusting. All the other kids had been together for 3 yr old preschool, so he was a little shy/ awkward. His teacher assured me by Christmas he had caught up socially with everyone else. I feel like I made the right decision for my 4 yr old. He on track for kindergarten and just started reading! I will keep my 3 yr old also former preemie out of preschool next year and put him in 4 yr preschool like I did his older brother.
My son was also born at 29 weeks in June of 2005. he never needed Early intervintion, however he did have some speach delays. We took him to the school where my older son attends and had him evaluated for the state sponsored preschool, he did qualify for that and since it is state sponsered we do not have to pay for it. We are required to be "teachers aid" once a month, which i love as it gives me a chance to see chris with other children and it reasures me that he's not as behind as i thought he was and it also provided another set of developmental "experts" a chance to access him. Preschool has done wonders for his speach and social skills (the preschool he attends did not require him to be potty trained since it is only half day, however another perk was that when he saw the other children using the bathroom he finally decided to give it a shot and within two months he was potty trained), so if you have no health concerns with having you children in school you may want to go to your local public school and see if they offer a free preschool program.
Hi. My son aged out of EI in December but still has significant speach delays. They helped us to sign him up for preschool and he started after winter break. He has an IEP and gets speach services through the school. We were not sure about sending him because we have a 2nd baby at home. He did not have any real immune problems however. He did bring home his first stomach bug (which the baby did not get -- thank God) and has had a cold but fought it off quick.
He also is not potty trained but they are helping us to work on this.
It is certainly a difficult choice. If you choose not to start him in preschool, maybe your case worker can still help you to find another resource for him to continue to get help. There are other sources that my son can get speech services for example but some have wait lists. I called him previous worker to get information even after he turned three.
Hope that this helps.
Hi there. My 3 1/2 year old is a 23w micropreemie who was born at 1 pound 9 ounces. After two laser eye surgeries, six weeks intubated, PDA ligation and the NICU rollercoaster ride from hell, he came home on his due date. He's one tough kid and we have done everything to raise him as "normally" as possible. Once he hit two, after we got through the risky RSV phase, we decided to send him to a 2 1/2 hour program at our local Y, 2x a week. (Not an easy decision, but my husband insisted). He was receiving OT, PT and Spec. Ed. services at home. It turns out, my son loved it. He liked being surrounded by all the kids but while he was there we noticed how severe his speech delay was. If I hadn't sent him to the Y, I would never have pushed for re-evaluation. He is now attending a developmental preschool 5x a week for 2 1/2 hours. He receives Speech, OTand PT both at school and at home. It has been invaluable. Before we sent him, he was displaying significant markers for autism and my husband and I prepared ourself for a diagnosis. Now, a year later, we realize that most of his markers were based on his severe speech delay and sensory processing problems. He is still very immature for his age (he's more like a 2-3 year old) but each day he is progressing. I very much credit the education and services he's receiving at school. So bottom line, I'm all for sending your child to school. I'm not going to lie and say it's easy because it's not. He caught some nasty colds there and I think for the month of January he had a cough and a runny nose. But my pediatrician told me that's all normal kid stuff and we just gave him tylenol and soldiered on. By the way, my micropreemie is in the 95th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height for his ACTUAL age. He is my miracle and I am overwhelmed each day how resilient he is. Don't underestimate your preemie, they're a lot tougher than we given them credit for. One last thing, get the list of developmental preschools from your school district and shop all of them before you make your decision. I shopped 7 until I found the one that I was most suitable for Conor. Good luck and I hope this helps.
conorsmom- sounds like your little man has a wonderful story to share. What a miracle! My kids are only 14 months, they were 30 weekers, and we already get them involved in park district classes. They love the interaction. They've had a few colds, but I think they got those from us! I don't know about any teaching "theories" or any school "methodologies" - I was a public school kid. But what I do know is they LOVE being around other kids, adn it's just great to get out of the house a little. So great to hear your guy is doing so great.
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