My daughter is 4yrs. old and is attending a private pre-k program, which consists of 4 children (including my daughter) with varring disabilities and two teachers. The help she is getting is great, but she is starting to notice and interact with the other kids (also, picking up some stims from them). She can go to a public pre-k her sister attended and was great. This option, in public school, consists of 4 kids on the spectrum and up to 8 peers as role models, with one Special Ed teacher and two assistants. I don't know where to place her for the fall. She, also, receives ST,OT, and VB throughout the day. She is only in pre-school for 3 or 2.5 hrs. a day. Oh, she gets 2hrs of OT and ST a week at the private school(group) and would get 1.5 ST and .5 OT a week at the public pre-k (pull- out). Also, if she is in the public school system for a year then she qualifies for a scholarship for a number of private schools. I want her to be around more typical kids now that she is noticing other children, but she is doing so well where she is that I don't know what to do. Oh, when her sister was in the pre-k class last year there was never more than about 10 or less kids in the classroom. Oh and the public school follows pretty much the same schedule as the private school.
What do I do? I am so confused as to what to do.
This is a though one for me as well. I also had my DS (pre-K) in a private setting that offered him a lot more than the public school system here would. I had him around typical kids this summer. He is verbalizing more and is more aware of peers, interacts more and wants to be around them and is not picking up any stims like I saw him pick up in Pre-K. (We constantly work on redirecting him as soon as we see that)
I have the same dilemma as you. I intend to resolve that by having him in an afterschool program to have the benefit of being around typical peers while his private school continue to give him more specialized attention. Hopefully, next school year, I will have him in a more typical setting. Our kids in my opinion need to be around typical peers. I hope you make the best decision for your child.
Concernedpa.