Does anyone know where I could look to find a developmental pre school for my 5 year old autistic son that's in the middle tn area? I don't even know where to look,and he needs to get a little bit of a head start since he has some trouble learning. And we can't afford to send him to a regular preschool or day care..
He isn't in regular school because his birthday is dec 4,and the cutoff date for registering was sep 15. We were told that we didn't qualify for headstart,and even if we did,there isn't any in close proximity to us. I feel like we fell thru the cracks of the system with him.
I'm pretty sure you should be able to call your local school district or elementary school and speak with them about this. Typically they have programs in place for autistic children. My 5 year old autistic son has been in special ed preschool for three years and it is free because it is located on the local elementary school campus.
I was also going to suggest calling your local school district too. You could also call your pediatrician's office and see if they have any suggestions as well. Good luck!
A.
Many school districts have programs that begin at age 3 for "special needs" or any child that would otherwise begin kindergarten with a significant disadvantage.
Our school district does PreK screenings. They have a questionnaire that the parent fills out that can include any academic concerns, physical or health related concerns, social and economic concerns. They try to cover all aspects of a child's life so that if there is anything at all that could make beginning kindergarten a challenge for them, it is considered.
It's definitely worth a phone call. If they don't have the resources, they should have ideas for you.
Check with the school district. My son was evaluated and qualified for free pre-school intervention when he was 4.5. It's been very helpful. If they don't have something, maybe they can give you a referral. Good luck!
I am in NY but my daughter has sensory issues and at 3 we had the school district do an evaulation and she gets therapy twice a week. Call your school district and ask for the Special Education Department and they will direct you where to go. Was your son in early intervention? If you call them they may have the contacts you need as well.
At 5 he should be in the regular school classroom. Kids with disabilities are supposed to start school in the elementary school program as soon as they turn 3. He needs to be attending that program so he can start learning to do the things he needs to do to be able to be in a regular classroom someday. He would be learning to do all kinds of things.
I hope you find some place for him that is just what you are looking for. There are also programs out there for families of disabled children that could help with the cost.
I have a lot of experience as a foster parent getting children with special needs into the school system. You can contact the Special Education District at any time (not just the beginning of school year) and request an evaluation. Some school districts require a screening before an evaluation. Either way, the state puts timelines on how long they can take before evaluations are completed and an IEP put in place (it looks like 40 school days from the date you sign consent for an evaluation). As soon as this is done, if he qualifies, he would begin a preschool program. Autism is considered a disability in your state, and he should qualify for special education. All of the evaluations and schooling will be free. Here is a link that I found that may help http://www.tn.gov/education/speced/assessment.shtml
