Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

Hi Everyone! DS is currently receiving EI for speech, PT and special ed. He is turning 3 in June and so I have begun the CPSE evaluation process. I am also hoping that he will qualify for OT as I feel there may be some sensory things going on there, too. His teacher (who is also our coordinator) thinks that he will qualify for an integrated program. I am in the Elwood/South Huntington area and she recommended:

Alternatives for Children in Melville
and
Building Blocks in Commack.

She did not recommend DDI (even though it's so close to me) because she felt it might be too restrictive (mainly kids with ASD or Down's).

Does anyone have feedback on Alternatives for Children or Building Blocks? Or does anyone know of other schools in the area that might be good to look into? I would like to stay fairly local as I don't want DS to be on a bus all morning and afternoon. I am also looking for an integrated class, meaning I don't want him to be the highest functioning kid there as i would like him to have some more typical peers for him to model.

Thank you so much!!

Re: Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

Anyone??? Please.....

Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

Heard only great things about Building Blocks. I am not a fan of Alternatives but I'm more familiar with their Setauket location not Melville.

Re: Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

I've pretty much heard the same as you as far as the difference in the two, one being more restrictive. I have experience with BB Integrated class and LOVED it for my oldest guy. The staff is wonderful, they have a parents club which acts like a PTA they are always doing fun activities for the kids like Santa visiting, petting zoo, Halloween parade with pumpkin patch, bouncers I think they do this around the summer...I find this for a preschool amazing that they do all this. This year they had the high school kids of commack read Dr Seuss books to them. I really do admire the teachers and assistants there and how they run their class. I see lots of typical kids attend the integrated class which are great role model for the kids that have extra needs. My guy received speech and special instruction when he was 3 going into their integrated class. At 4 he didn't qualify for services so I needed to enroll him as a typical child for their 4 year preschool but there were no spots available! I did take advantage of their summer programs and bridge to kindergarten class though. They have a nice website to visit and I recommend setting up an appointment to visit the school and see one of their integrated classes.

Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

I highly recommend alternatives for children as well as Just Kids in lindenhurst. I have worked for both in the past and can say either would be a fine choice. I also recommend AHRC/ BCCS Marcus ave school in new Hyde park. I do not recommend building blocks. You can FM me for reasons why. If you need any other agency recommendations please let me know

Re: Integrated Pre-Schools - Suggestions please! :)

I just posted a similar comment on another thread as I am in the same process. Alternatives for Children has been recommended to me, the East Setauket one. BB I went to for a mommy and me-type program for a semester, wasn't crazy about them.
Based on recommendations I have received-and let me say that I have not been to any of the schools yet- so take this for what its worth. I'm starting tours not this coming week (break) but the following one. Going for integrated in September, looking for 4, 5 or 6 hours. Not making a decision based on hours, but it is a consideration because I don't think 2.5 hours a day is enough for my son. I'll include the hours just in case thats a consideration of yours. Just spoke with Just Kids Middle Island today, their integrated is still open, fyi. They came recommended. My therapists have told me the Middle Island Just Kids is better than the Lindenhurst one. Its 5 hours. Leeway comes highly recommended but their site says integrated is 2.5 hours. Other ones that have been suggested to me are Alternatives for Children 4 hours and is less ABA and more SI, a sensory playground and such, New Interdisiplinary School (2.5 hours though) and DDI- Yap 6 hours. I've gotten a lot of input from all four of my son's therapists (2 abs, 1 speech, 1 parent trainer) and they seem to lean away from Kramer and DDI Yap. Kramer and NIS are bigger (more options, more programs) while Leeway is smaller. I think Just Kids middle island is mid sized. Again, I haven't visited any, just starting now. I've been told that when you go 'you just know'. I don't know about that, but I do know that its not a one size fits all approach. Based on what you need, your child's strengths and what they focus on, I think its different for each child.