Aide for a 3 year old in preschool?
Hello,
My daughter attends The Good Earth preschool in Kensington and due to some sort of Sensory processing issue we are trying to diagnose, has had a very difficult time in her big transitions (to the point where it is distressing to both us and her teachers). We are looking for an aide to spend one on one time with her in school part time three days a week and wonder if anyone has navigated this process before and can give guidance on where to find such a person? Any advice helps. Thanks so much!
Jul 6, 2018
Parent Replies
I think for a 3 year old, you could contact the Regional Center and/or get ABA through your health insurance. I can also recommend the fabulous Kendra Frautnick http://www.kendrafrautnick.com/services.html
to provide in-school services.
Your situation sounds a lot like me ~3-4 years ago. I'd suggest starting with an Occupational Therapist, though you may already be on that path as you work to diagnose. An OT, can evaluate (including school observation), do one-on-one sessions to help you and your child develop tools and strategies, as well as provide wrap around care (at school, in the moment assistance and help her teachers understand and utilize tools to better support). Your insurance may have some in-network, though most in the Bay Area seem to be self-pay and then you can try to get reimbursed from your health insurance. Another option is a Neuropsych evaluation. It's not cheap and, again usually out-of-pocket, though you may be able to get reimbursed from your health insurance depending on the diagnosis. Your Pediatrician should be a good resource to help document the need and may be able to suggest some Neuropsychologists and/or OTs. It can help with insurance if it's deemed medically necessary. You can also do a search here on BPN for ones in your area.
In our case, the understanding of our child's issues from the Neuropsych evaluation, on-going support from our OT, and most recently addition of medication for other non-sensory issues has made a world of difference. We've tried to be diligent about incorporating and reinforcing the tools across environments and proactively communicating with new teachers. We've gone from a preschool situation of repeated (dreaded) calls and requests to pick up early to an elementary school environment where the most recent progress report was that our child is a delight to have in class.
I applaud you for recognizing and working to address the issues early (vs. just hoping they'll grow out of it).
One more idea: your child is now old enough to be evaluated by your local school district to possibly receive school district-provided OT and/or an aide in her private preschool. Contact the special education department for WCCUSD.