Preschool Part 2

Community Friends

Well they determined that Mary is still not eligible for Special Ed. So they found her a spot in a special ed class as a "community friend." What is a community friend you ask? It's a "typical developing" child in a special ed class to help the special ed students mainstream and learn social behavior. She starts at this new school in this new class in a couple of weeks after spring break. And she'll continue until the end of the school year on June 8.


But since she's a "typically developing" child in the classroom, she will not have an IEP nor will they be documenting her behavior or progress. Luckily as her mother, I think that all she needs right now is exposure to other children in a classroom setting. We will have to wait until she gets older to see if she will do well in a general curriculum class.


Since there is no general curriculum class for preschool in the state of California, we will have to wait for Kindergarten. Then we will have to wait and see how she does in a regular Kindergarten class and if any problems arise then, I guess we'll deal with it then. Thank goodness we still get therapy through the Regional Center because the school district is falling a little short. At least they got her in as a "friend" for now and that means she won't miss out on preschool this year.

As a post script, I should note that I could send Mary to a private preschool. Except, she is not potty trained yet and private schools like to see that. And private schools usually aren't personnel equipped to deal with autism and it's many facets. And not to mention she'd probably go to school only 2 days a week instead of 4 (Yes, public preschool is 4 days a week.) because that's what we can afford.