Preschool program

by Julie
(Brentwood, TN)

I am a director for a preschool in Tennessee and we have 2 children enrolled who show symptoms of SPD. One has been diagnosed, and one is in the process. Both children are new to our school. Do you have ideas to help us in the integration into mainstream classrooms. I am waiting for information from the parents and the therapist of the child who has been diagnosed, but any info I can get in the meantime can only make the experience for these children better. Thanks for your help!



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Aug 28, 2018
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by: Laura

I agree with everything I have read. My son was enrolled in Special Ed. At 3 he went to school for a mad if ,3 days before we had to pull him out. In hindsight I was i would have started him on intense OT.

He is now 4 and I am dreading the first day back to school. I don't know what to do . He senses it's near.
Nov 30, 2008
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starstarstarstarstar 		My son is in preschool right now...
by: Brett

Hi there. Great to connect - thank goodness for the internet! My son entered preschool this year and it has really been the best thing for him. He has SID, and was just tested thoroughly for autism, which he does not have. We find at school that he does fine on schoolwork, but he gets many "red" marks for behavior - he has trouble staying out of other kid's "space" - getting too close, blowing in their faces.

Oftentimes if there's a confrontation, he doesn't know how to respond or deal with it, so he hits which is not good! We told his kindergarten teacher he had SID and she had never heard of it before. Now we are working with the school's occupational therapist some and we're trying to figure things out - he has improved vastly, but many times it's like trying to navigate in a dark cave complex holding only a candle. Lots of love and compassion and just remember that it's not the kid's fault.

I think sometimes he appears "lazy" at recess, and when coloring with crayons he'll just scribble all over, rather than focusing on staying between the lines. So he comes off as being bored, which he might be.

Clothing - don't even think about putting socks on him under his crocks! :) It's really hard for him to transition between the seasons - when its time to start wearing long pants and long shirts - mornings getting him dressed can get really interesting. Same about wearing coats! At home, he strips down to his skivvies and feels much better in his own skin.

My son is very friendly and comes right up to people, however, I think he does have trouble in group play sometimes. All in all, he's only 6, and just about everyone has quirks as they grow up - but we have seen a huge, marked improvement in his quality of life in the past year.

He particularly loves animals - we got a guinea pig, and he loves to sit there and hold Coco, and he's very tender with our cats and dog. I wish I could say the same for his little sister! But even there we're seeing improvement. Thanksgiving was frustrating because there was so much build up to the "feast" both at school and home. When we finally sat down with 20 relatives, he just couldn't process - he even had the turkey leg sitting on his plate - but he just cried and nothing was "right." So we made him a ham sandwich and it was the "wrong" bread. Lots of hugs and a long nap and he was better.

You really learn to pick your battles. All of this, of course, means that the good days are REALLY good days!
Nov 22, 2008
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starstarstarstarstar 		Daniels experience with preschool
by: Darlene

Dear Julie, I can help you out with my sons experiences... When he was 3 I thought that a half day away from me was a good idea. He was very clingy. It was so emotional. He cried almost the whole day. My older children went also, but would stop crying as soon as I was out of sight. So I thought that Daniel would soon do the same. It took months. I felt so bad for him and the teacher. He did come out of his shell after a while. I think he truly like controlling the situation. Very stubborn and smart even then.

At 4, he did all of his crying about not wanting to go before he got there and after I picked him up. At the school he played alone. Others wanted to play with him, but he would rather look at books. He was compliant. It took the teacher about 3 tries each time to get him to do what the class was doing. Not because he was rude but, he was still focused on the task beforehand. Lack of focus has always been a big thing. ( he is 8 now)

At 5 he was tested and tested out somewhere between a 7 and 9 year old. But, refused to follow tasks or focus on his work. Again always controlling what he wanted to do. His answer for everything was I don't know... Still is.

Please remember, kids with SPD are usually very intelligent and I think they know it. They just lose the ability to follow through somewhere in the processing of the information. A behavior and reward chart usually work. I think it will help you to determine if the child is actually having issues with something or is just playing you. Been there , done that. I personally thank you for working in one of the hardest professions there is !! kudo's to you!!

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