: Preschool

[Guest guest]

,

I just read Jodi's response to you regarding RSS and preschool in

NJ. I live in Virginia and it isn't an automatic qualifier. We did

get our son in the school based preschool program, but we had to

really work for it. Our son was in early intervention and in our

state either having a diagnosis or a 25% delay in an area qualifies

you, but a diagnosis alone doesn't get you into preschool in

Virginia. And then even if you qualify, they can try and do " home

resourcing " , which we didn't want. Our son Jake had made huge

progress in early intervention just before being tested for preschool

and made him look too " good " . But we knew he was at such a great

risk for falling behind if once he turned 3 he lost all of his

services. He got where he was from having a lot of therapy. Our

fear was that if he didn't get services for the next three years, he

would slowly slip behind again.

First, like Jodi suggested, I made sure everyone involved in his

evaluations had the RSS handout. Then, we got a letter from his

current speech therapist who backed our desire for classroom based

preschool and later attended the placement meeting. Then in the

parent interview I discussed in length what a diagnosis of RSS really

meant, and the importance of preschool. This is where you really

have to paint the worse possible picture of RSS. We were finally

told he was qualified, then our county service coordinator said based

on where they were holding the placement meeting, it looked like Jake

would be getting therapy at home. My reply to her was, " I thought

this wasn't supposed to be decided yet. My understanding is we were

all to come to a joint decision at the meeting. " She fumbled for

words and then I told her my son was going to the classroom based

preschool and we wouldn't leave the meeting until we signed the

paperwork placing him in the school setting. We then scheduled the

meeting, showed up and we got what we wanted, no questions asked!

I am not sure what the rules are in your state, but be tough and

fight for what you believe in.

P.S. My son is now in his second year of preschool and his teacher

told me last week that Jake is the " language model " in the class

because of his fabulous speech!

Best wishes,

Alison

> Jodi,

> I noticed that you mentioned to that RSS automatically

qualifies

> them for preschool. I did not know this. Christian (my RSS son)

is about to

> turn 3 in the beginning of November. We have sent in the paperwork

to allow him

> to be evaluated.

> But my coordinator wasn't sure if RSS would be an automatic

qualifier. But

> you are saying that it is. Would the state know this? (I'm in

Illinois) Or do

> I need to mention this to my coordinator?

>

> Thank you.

> (mom to , 5.5, non-RSS, and Christian, 2.5, RSS, Zantac

and, come

> Monday, Periactin)

>

>

>