Finding the right preschool

[knixrock]

Our school told us in March that PK4 would not be an ideal fit because they could not dedicate enough support to redirecting my son. We paid for independent evaluations, behavioral assessment and speech therapy while waiting for assessment through the public school district. So the school kicking him out is saying they can't give him enough support but the public school where he can supposedly get the help he needs is bigger with more transitions and stimulation, with worse student:teacher ratios. Our only other option would be to private pay for an aide to keep him in private school but who can afford that? It is inching toward May, the public school won't have an answer until June as to whether he qualifies for services. If he does qualify I still don't know if it is the right place for him. Where does our little boy belong? Who will let him play and learn and explore and not crush his spirit?

[katcald]

I know that all public schools (even within the same district) are different, but public school has been great for our (now 10-year-old) ADHD son.

At 4, I enrolled him in Montessori School where our girls had gone and flourished. It was a nightmare. He was too young to be diagnosed with ADHD but I knew he had issues. (For awhile he was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder.) He could not handle the tasks, and they resorted to giving him a balance board and letting him go into a supply room (it was a stand alone classroom so there wasn't a lot of space) to work off his energy (and not disturb the other students).

At a parent teacher conference they proceeded to give me a list of things that my son needed to do to be successful in kindergarten.

We switched him in to the public school in the fall. The principal secured him a spot in the pre-K class because he was not ready for K (he called it "the gift of time") The teacher worked closely with us to develop the best strategies for him.

At the end of the year, the teacher and a school administrator sat down with us and told us what THEY would do to help my son succeed in K.

It hasn't been perfect, but he is doing pretty well. Bottom line, give the public school a shot before you right them off and you may be surprised!

[Tmom46]

We had the same exact issue with my son when he was in preschool (3 years old). He was enrolled in a pretty expensive 3 day a week program and they didn’t know how to help/handle him. They tried a few things then basically kicked my son out before the year was over. He was only allowed to return if he had a full time SEIT (special teacher assigned to him). The evaluation process is annoyingly long but we had no choice but to wait I‎t out. We did end up paying privately for a few hours a week and he didnt go to school the rest of the hours for that year.

Once our evaluation was complete we were given hours with a SEIT along with other helpful therapy hours. At the time my son was diagnosed with a Sensory Processing Disorder so OT (occupational therapy) was our saving grace. He was still too young for an official ADHD diagnosis.

We ended up switching him to a different preschool the following year with incredibly helpful and understanding teachers. By the time my son went to Kindergarten he no longer needed a SEIT and was doing amazing well in school.

If the public school has the right resources and the right teachers for your son that may be more important than the smaller classrooms in my opinion. Looking back I’m happy that we switched schools because a school that does not want your child is definitely not the right place for them.

Btw - my son is now 13 years old and makes the honor roll every semester. He still has his struggles but he doesn’t remember anything about his preschool days so don’t beat yourself up about the decision affecting him personally or socially too much.

Go with your gut. Good luck!