Preschool Question

mom2my2cuties wrote: OK - SO Andy is going to have to start going to Preschool soon, we have been putting it off for a while because right now we are struggling financially because of this case and things.

But my big concern is, she seems pretty behind as far as her verbal skills go, and I know some of you have children who see a speech therapist for language skills, and I was wondering if you could give me some insights into what I can do to find the right school to help her.

Also, if you know where I can find some activities that we can do together to help this as well.

mom21kid2dogs replied: There should be an early intervention program in your area. In Ohio, they are called "Help Me Grow". They specialize in meeting the needs of kids 0-3 with testing, linking to services, etc. They are income based for some things but have a high qualifing family income. (We nearly qualify). Your local health department or public library should be able to help you find a program in your area. You could also check your state human services website~there might be info there as most are funded through a Federal program funneled thru the state depts.

lovemy2 replied: Definately contact your school district to find out what type of early intervention program they have so she gets evaluated properly and gets the proper services

Boo&BugsMom replied: We have a program like that. It's called Birth To Three. I would start with that as well that way it's taken care of before she goes to preschool. Then the preschool can work with her knowing what her needs are.

mummy2girls replied: You can talk to her ped and see what he/she recomends... Jenna goes to a early intevention program at a school near us. She goes every day like kindergarten. In only one mopnth she has improved alot!!!!

hawkshoe replied: I talked to my pediatrician regarding my son and his speech. He gave me the number for early intervention. They evaluated him in my home and sent a therapist to my home at no cost to me. She offered me suggestions on how to help him as well. I am sure most states, if not all, have a similar type program.

mom2my2cuties replied: Thanks guys...I am going to call her ped today and ask them about an intervention program.

boyohboyohboy replied: Hey tish! I love early intervention, they have been such a wonderful help to us...and I also love them coming to our home...but if you do sign up for early intervention those therapists will go to preschool with your dgt....so she can bennefit from both experiences...
also how about a "head start program" I think they are free, or at least go by income..another good source might be your local kindergarden registraion, they should have some ideas about preschool programs...
i really love our church based one. Its in a baptist church, and they are so kind, and he really likes that church is part of his learning. good luck

redplaydoh replied: I would just put her in preschool... you will be amazed at how language skills improve being around other kids.

hopefulmomtobe replied: My sweet boy Brody is in the 2nd grade but is in a special small class for Language Disability. I do not know how long he will stay in there, but it doesnt look like a normal 3rd grade class room is in our future for next year. So, I understand just how you feel. My suggestion would be to see if there is testing with in your school district to diagnois the problem. Also, if your insurance covers a Psychiatrist that would be a good start too because they can do several different testing to pin-point down what the problem is and you can go into Pre-K armed with knowlege. As for things you can do to help her - Brody has to read every night for 15 minutes and he has to try to make the sentence flow and not sound choppy, so my suggestion would be helping her with reading if she isnt already doing that. There is a GREAT book I have at home that I will send you the name of that you can pick up at any learning teacher store that has really helped Brody.

I am in this on a daily basis watching my poor boy struggle and see the frustration on his face. I will be glad to help you anyway I can.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I just contacted our school district about this. They work with an agency that is state funded. A woman from the agency called me and setup an appt to come to my house to do paperwork to see if we qualify. Then someone from the school district comes out to our home to evaluate my son. Then they will test him for preschool. Sounds like a long process, but I'm going to give it a try. The woman from the agency said that they also place you with a speech therapist, no out of pocket expense. They of course submit the claim to your insurance, but even if denied, the state pays for it, if I'm understanding correctly. She just kept saying I don't pay anything unless Wil doesn't qualify (meaning he doesn't have a speech problem), we pay for preschool on our own.

mom2my2cuties replied:
I think I should point out - Andrea has just now turned 3 So reading is a bit off.


Anyway, I actually tried calling her ped today and they gave me the same baloney they give me every time I call them. "We will have the doctor call you but it will be 2-3 days" So I looked up Early Intervention Programs and actually found an Autism center here in town who does free testing to determine what if any language disability or delay the child has. So we are going to do that on Tuesday morning when I get home.

I really feel horrible about all of this. She is doing great otherwise, She just seems a little behind. And has her own words for things instead of what they are called and when she has trouble with a word, instead of even trying it, she looks at me, grins and says "HI!"

Wont even say her own name.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Just a side note...reading begins with reading readiness. Reading for children this age isn't necessarily reading words in books. It begins with letter recognition, letter sounds, and phonemic awareness. Even though she can't "read", the reading readiness is important and will ultimately help her in her verbal skills as well.

As far as just putting her in preschool as someone suggested, I think you are doing the wise thing by taking the extra precaution and being safe. There are not a lot of parents who do that and then the children get so far behind it really hinders them more in the long run. It's always best to catch something earlier on rather than later. Besides, if there isn't anything wrong or she doesn't need early intervention, it's always nice to know that instead of always worrying and wondering. Good luck on Tuesday!

mom2my2cuties replied: Jeanie it's funny you mention that, she knows all her letters, but wont say the alphabet, knows all her numbers, but wont count.

We do spend a lot of time working on our letters and sounds and that sort of thing. But like with the letter A - I will tell her A (And say it slow so she can really hear the sounds of the letter in both the long and short version) and then I will give her words such as apple and instead of saying apple she says "Bapple" and then there are words that I don't know how to explain it. Maybe I am just being over cautious. I just worry about her and maybe it's just guilt that I can't spend as much time with her working on things like we were because of this case and being gone so much.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Sounds like she is a good visual learner but has problems with her auditory learning skills. ?? Perhaps that why you find that she struggles with her language. ??? I'm not a therapist though so of course I wouldn't want to assume or diagnose and one can't determine anything without meeting the child. It's very possible you may be being over cautious, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I think all us parents can say we've been over cautious about something or other with our children. The thing you may want to do is concentrate on giving her activities and such where she can visually learn things, if that is her strong area. Hands-on activities would benefit her too. For example: using counting chips with numbered cups and have her count the chips into each numbered cup (did that make sense?). Like, counting out 10 chips into the #10 cup, but have her verbally count out loud.

Just another side note though...you mentioned her saying "Bapple" instead of apple...even though she's 3, words that come out like that are totally normal. The best thing to do is when she says something like that, for example "Bapple"...say "you mean 'apple'?". Then have her repeat it, say the word slow, over-pronounce the word and break the word into parts and have her repeat the parts one at a time (like "ap" "ple"), then have her put them together.