Kindergarten Update

I posted last week about the decision we need to make regarding kindergarten versus first grade and got some really good input. (Thanks, CampHillGirl, Hands-Free Heart, Robin and Susan.)

I also posted this question on the listserve for the local chapter of the ASA (Autism Society of America), and almost everyone who replied there was in favor of starting with kindergarten, given where the Little Guy is with social skills and emotional development. Several of the parents had their children wait a year for kindergarten, even for some of their typical children with late birthdays, and all had been happy with the decision. One who went forward to first grade later had to have her child held back and said that she (the child) is now bothered that she is a year behind the kids she started school with.

A few people brought up the fact that our school district has 1/2 day kindergarten and suggested I request a full day program for him. Some ideas for the second part of the day were to be in the learning support room and receive his other services during that time, or to be in the first grade class for certain subjects. Whatever the solution, they recommended that academics be addressed in the IEP, not just speech/OT/behavior goals.

I was definitely encouraged to visit both classroom settings, and one wise mom suggested that a good test of his success starting in first grade this fall would be whether I could “plunk him down in a Kindergarten class right now with no problems.” She did also say that “typically our kids developmental delays really start to show here [3rd and 4th grade]. An extra year now may be a bit boring but invaluable later.”

Another mom said, “School is so much more than academics. There are the challenges of transitioning from one activity to another. There are large classrooms, noisy cafeterias, socially complex playground dynamics, and gym classes that stretch the limits of our kid’s coordination and skills in cooperative play. It is tough.”

So, I guess the next step is to visit the classrooms and then talk with the school psychologist and SLP more about the options that would be most appropriate for the Little Guy. I also need to do some research about what the school is required to provide in terms of academics at the child’s level when they are ahead of their grade in some areas. Any other ideas/resources are welcome and appreciated!

Related Posts:

• Kindergarten Transition Process
• Tools of the Trade: Prior Written Notice ~ Featured Article from Autism Asperger’s Digest
• Empowering Our Kids

Tagged as: advocacy, Kindergarten