special needs preschools

My child has a summer birthday so we were not able to get the CPSE process started until recently. I am worried that there will be no spots at any of the special needs preschools that we would find acceptable. I do not want to send my DC to a place where I would not be comfortable leaving him for 25-30 hours per week.

What do parents do when, due to their child's late birthday, they are closed out of all of the SN schools that they would be willing to enroll their child in? No one would expect a parent to leave their child at a daycare they were uncomfortable with for 25-30 hours per week and I don't think anyone should expect me to leave my non-verbal autistic toddler in a school for that amount of time if I find the school unacceptable.

What would be our options, other than sending DC to a school we are uncomfortable with (which, to us, is an unacceptable option)?

Re: special needs preschools

DS has a September birthday and I would go look at as many schools as you can, so you get an idea of what's out there, and also, they should be able to let you know how many spots they have available. When is your meeting? Do all of your HW before your meeting, so you don't have to waste time after, looking for the perfect school.

Re: special needs preschools

We have been ahead of the game the whole time. I started researching schools last September. We have already visited several schools. We have several we liked, some of which are already filled up for September. There were a couple we absolutely thought would be the wrong environment for DC, of course those are the ones that still have openings. I feel so powerless because my DC has a summer birthday, so we were not allowed to even submit our paperwork to the district until recently.

The district is waiting until the last allowable moment for our meeting.

I guess I am just thinking worst case scenario, if the only SN schools where spots are available are the ones we think are the wrong environment for DC, what is our recourse? What can we do?

special needs preschools

DS is an Aug baby, and we thought the same thing and we worried and everything. if a school is the right fit and they are filled they can over enroll by 2 children per class. if there are schools you did not like, you might be surprised how well of a fit it could be for him.

when we looked we had our top choices.

LV
BCW
HASC
BOCES
ACDS

we got accepted into LV but after touring BOCES we chose that.
who would have thought.

Re: special needs preschools

My son is a July birthday and we worried the same as you. We had our CPSE meeting in the beginning of June and lucked out with a full time spot at our #1 choice of schools in July, which is not usual. Everything will work out! When you go to the schools, which you have been already, you get that gut feeling of which is the best placement(s) for your LO. Sometimes a call from your school district to express your interest in that school can help....not always of course. But it helped for us. Good luck!

Re: special needs preschools

Thanks everyone, this is reassuring!

Re: special needs preschools

My child had an October bday and her meeting was not held until the first week of August(!). Despite that we got into our top 2 choices - we never even checked with other schools since we were on such a tight schedule and both LV and BCW gave us a weekend to make up our mind due to high demand.

We have a girl which I do think made her easier to place (less girls with speech delays), but the most important thing is to know what you want. At my meeting they asked for my top choices for schools once they approved schooling and it helped get the ball moving immediately. My daughter is finishing up her 2nd year at BCW which we have loved, so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to send me an email.