Today I toured our town's integrated preschool. Integrated preschool is a public preschool with, in this case, 60% typically developing kids and 40% kids with some special need. These are not kids with severe special needs; those children attend other schools designed around their needs. Integrated preschool is one of the options we have for Charlie for when he turns three and "graduates" from Early Intervention speech services. Charlie would probably not qualify as a special needs student but he could attend as a regular ed kid. The other option is private preschool, where he is now, and where Summer went. We like our school and I am leaning towards keeping him there. Charlie may also be eligible for speech services from the town.
In the classroom, the integrated preschool was similar to our private preschool. There are a maximum of 15 kids in each class, both in our school and the integrated preschool. In both cases there are three teachers in the class. The difference is that at the integrated preschool, there are extra adults in the room, helping the kids with special needs. These teachers take the kid they are supposed to be helping, grab a few other kids, and do small group activities. Today, for example, I saw a physical therapist running an obstacle course activity with three or four kids. Every kid in the room was very focused on something, whether it was painting alone, or using a hole puncher with a teacher. I was impressed. I realized I don't even know what it's really like at our preschool because I'm only there at for the chaotic drop-off and pick-up.
The integrated preschool is less expensive than the private preschool. The hours are less desirable--just two and a half hours, four mornings a week, whereas our school is a day care center and we can pick whatever hours we want. The integrated preschool runs on the school calendar so Charlie would have all the same vacations as Summer. This year, I've paid our day care to have Summer come on the days when her school is closed but I still have to go to work.
Unlike our school, the parking sucks, and the toilets are not in the room. The whole setting is less attractive. The playground looked OK. Like our preschool, they have music once a week. And the classrooms were just as noisy as the ones in our preschool, which was one of the most important things I looked for.
So I have to weigh all the pros and cons. At the moment I'm leaning towards keeping Charlie where he is, and talking with the staff there about maybe making a few small changes (like closing the doors between the classrooms to cut down the noise). I'll go in and visit some time when it's not drop-off or pick-up. And I'll ask the town to give Charlie speech once a week, just like he's getting from EI now. He's doing so well lately, and I think the speech therapy makes a big difference. (Today he said, "Mama, those you legs? You legs big. I baby legs." He also commented that my underpants were "plain," in contrast with his Batman undies. Which he does not wear, because he will not use the potty.)
You may recall that I mentioned another option, a specialized preschool for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, a school with extremely small class sizes and teachers who have worked with kids with hearing loss for years. Charlie would have to ride a bus to another town for that one. After seeing the integrated preschool, I think I can cross the special school off my list. Charlie will benefit from being around kids who are good talkers, and if he does need extra attention, I think the integrated preschool could provide it.
Also, I've decided not to go out to Northampton for two days to have Charlie evaluated by the Clarke School for the Deaf. I think the Children's Hospital Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program will be sufficient. If for some reason the town won't give me speech, even at the recommendation of EI and DHHP, then I'll go to Clarke. But everything will probably be fine.
Today one of Charlie's mates at EI, Nadia, turned three. The kids celebrated with cupcakes. "Messy!" Charlie told me. Nadia's deaf, and she's getting a cochlear implant, and tomorrow she's starting at a special preschool in the city where she lives. There's one other kid who's one month older than Charlie, and then it's Charlie's turn. There are new people in the group with little babies wearing tiny hearing aids. We put Charlie's crib in the attic to make room for the fire truck bed. He's really a big boy now.
When I wait with Charlie in the lobby of Summer's elementary school, some kids look at Charlie for an extra second, but no one, absolutely no one, has ever said a word about him looking different. We're in a very good place right now. I'm not sure how long it will last. At our preschool, when we used to pick up Summer, other kids used to blurt stuff about Charlie's ear, or, oddly, his eye. There may be some value in the integrated preschool for Charlie to not be the only kid in school who's different. Then again, isn't everybody different? Or is that just some crap we tell ourselves.
I meant to write for 15 minutes and it's been 45. Goodnight!
It seems that you are doing a really good job trying to assess what will be best for Charlie and also for you. It is wonderful that you are all in a good place right now. Enjoy!!
Posted by: jahlbeck@verizon.net | January 10, 2008 at 09:59 AM
being in the midst of thinking about possible switches for daycare/future preschool options for S., I can appreciate the choices. It's so hard to tell whether you would be trading a negative at one place for a positive at another place. It's nice that you have multiple options that will both likely work and that they are convenient. We do not have so many options and they are not so convenient.
Posted by: Joy | January 10, 2008 at 11:55 AM