Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

.... it still becomes a nightmare trying to then figure out the schedule that will best fit your child!

DS will turn 3 on June 3rd. Wierd birthday, I know. The school he's going to start has a two part program. One piece is ABA therapy - 5 mornings a week and 3 afternoons. In the school, in an 'office space' type of environment. The other piece is the integrated preschool - 6 kids on IEP's and 6 typically developing peers. DS will have an aide with him (a therapist from the ABA program) in the integrated classroom to assist him with peer interactions and to redirect him when he spots an open door..
They offered him a summer program as well - same schedule as above for 6 weeks in July/Aug.

Here's my delemma. DS will be going from napping every day for 2 hours to NO nap at all. This is such a disaster waiting to happen.

Do I use the summer program to 'ease' him into the schedule? What do I put him in? all mornings except the days he has the preschool in the afternoon?? What would YOU do for your newly-turned-3 year old?

Re: Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

This is hard. I just turned down the SEIT who DS was going to work with because she could only see him at 2 pm--they nap at his daycare between 1-3, and most days, he really naps the whole time. I talked to his teacher about this, and she said he is really asleep, not just laying there resting. But in his case he is only working with the SEIT 1 hour a day, so I felt we should be able to figure out another time. He is 3.5, so a similar age.

I guess there is no room for any kind of nap in this schedule? I would try it for the summer and see how it goes (plus move up his bedtime so he's getting more sleep overall). But if he is overtired some of these services might not help as much.

Did you express your concerns to the school and see what they could do for you?

Re: Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

My DS started ABA and half day school between the age of 2 and 2 and a half. He's almost 3 and 1/2 now and could still use a nap everyday, but doesn't get one, except for when school is out (he will still nap for 2 hours at daycare on those days).

It's hard on him and us because he is tired at the end of the day. It's a long day for him. However, his teachers and therapists all said he really rose to the challenge and does well when he is with them. It is when he is with me that he falls apart a little and is a cranky kid.

For me, it was worth giving up the nap to get the services he needed. It's overwhelming in the beginning to schedule all that ABA and I did ask myself if all those hours were necessary, but he definitely benefitted from them. I did refuse an additional 2 hours we were approved for at home when he was in EI because it just would have been too disruptive to our home life and they would have had to come on weeknights, after he already had a very full day of school and therapies.

Good luck!

ETA - I would start in the summer with as much as you can schedule and see how he does. It will be easier to drop a session or two than try to squeeze them in later, IMO. Also, if you find someone you like for the summer, you will be able to schedule with them for the fall before they take on new cases.

Message edited 5/12/2011 12:58:03 PM.

Re: Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

I was worried about this same thing last year. Ds was only two. He adjusted beautifully. Some days he would sleep on the bus, some days a fast nap late in the afternoon ( believe it or not he would still sleep and night) some days no nap at all. He adjusted really well. It's so hard I hope it goes wel for you too.

Re: Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

I have a VERY busy boy with all his therapies. FT preschool, and about 10 hours of home services on top of that. Plus horseback riding and swimming. It's hard to schedule it all. You will feel like a project manager.

But don't worry about the nap and schedule that much. I was worried for DS' placement too and the nap. About 3 months before he turned 3 (late June) he started not taking naps everyday. He won't take naps forever.

When DS is tired, he sleeps on the bus on the way back home. He might still fall asleep when we go somewhere in the car. He may crash one Saturday or Sunday.

It will be an adjustement. Not just naps but the routine schedule, new therapists. I was expecting the worst with the bus and school and no problems at all.

Re: Oy. So when the school offers you EVERYTHING they have....

AJ stopped his napping when he started school part time at 2. He was going 3 days a week and at that time still had about 30 hours of home therapy. He adjusted. There were days he would fall asleep but it was very rare. At 3 he started full day and still got a total of 5 hours of therapy a week. He no longer naps. Each child is different but I would take what theynare offering and his body will adjust. Good luck