The Effect of Special Needs Integration on Regular Preschoolers

[SunshineMama]

Does anyone have any experience or thoughts concerning peer mentoring for a special needs preschool? I know some of you provide care to children with special needs- do you have them mixed into a regular group? How does that work out?

2 of my dcks (twin sibs) will be leaving me this year to be peer mentors for special needs children for a preschool. It looks like the ratio will be 8 special needs students to 4 peer mentors, with 2 teachers.

I did some research today on the program, and they stated that children will learn through teaching the students with special needs, and setting examples for them, and that they will learn about diversity. In return, the students with special needs will learn appropriate behavior and be motivated to assimilate into a regular classroom, from the regular students.

I have worked with older high school students with special needs as a part of my education, and have seen how integration can be very beneficial to them, but I do not know enough about how it can benefit a regular preschool aged child, as they are still very impressionable and learning. I would think that one would want their children around others who are at a higher level than they are, so they can learn from their peers, but that opinion is based on my lack of experience handling a mixed, integrated preschool group, and I am interested in the experiences others have had.

My concern, is that the 3.5 year old sibs that are going to be the mentors are still very impressionable, and with a 8:4 ratio of special needs to regular, they may not benefit from the program. I was not planning to renew their contract due to their lack of listening and behavioral issues (biting, hitting, scratching, yelling among other things) anyway, but even though they are little stinkers I still care about them a lot. Obviously it is their family's choice and I am going to stay out of it but, for my own curiosity's sake:

1. If you care for children with special needs, how does that affect the dynamic of the group, when they are integrated with other children?

2. Would a 8:4 ratio of special needs to regular students make a difference? (There is 1 teacher and 1 assistant).

3. If you were to pair a child with special needs with a regular child who has difficulty with listening, rule following, and behavior issues, could that benefit the regular child, possibly by giving them responsibility and helping them take a leadership role?

4. Would the peer mentoring program benefit all parties in all situations?

5. Experts say that birth-5 is a crucial learning period for children. Would it affect a regular child's normal social to be placed in a classroom setting with twice as many children with special needs 4 days a week? Or would the opposite be true?

6. Would you send your child to be a preschool peer mentor?

Like I said, I dont have experience with this and would love to learn about others' experiences and opinions in this area.

[crazydaycarelady]

I have a 4yo who goes to a preschool like this. This is his second year there. What I have noticed is that he seems to be behind in things such as getting his own coat and shoes on; zippers and also has very limited patience for or skill in arts/crafts for his age. I have often wondered what the expectations are for him at preschool.

[youretooloud]

I've had some special needs kids in my regular group, and the other kids are always better for it. But, the SN kids I have had were not what i'd consider real "special needs"...except for the severely autistic child. I've had deaf kids, and Cerebral Palsy kids, and they couldn't do everything, but they still kept up and had a completely normal social life here. They didn't seem different or "special needs".

One severely autistic child really needed so much help, and while the kids were wonderful with him, he never really socialized. The kids just went on about their business while he spun pot lids on the floor, or pushed buttons on anything he could find. They respected his need for lines, and never messed with whatever he lined up, or argued when he took something from them to line up. They just shrugged and got something else, but never tried to help him or join him.

[Willow]

I have insight from the perspective of being a foster family. I also participated in programs elementary school through high school where I spent time in special ed rooms so the kids in them would have a more mainstream education. I see a lot of similarities even though the intent between the two was different I see a lot of similarities in the experiences. I started fostering for my county when my kids were 1 and 3. The kids I took had challenges ranging from mild behavior "quirks" up through major medical complications and mild-moderate cases of RAD.

1. If you care for children with special needs, how does that affect the dynamic of the group, when they are integrated with other children?

I never accepted placements who were a physical risk to my kids safety and well being. Beyond that, they were never separated. As long as none of the kiddos with challenges pose a risk the other kids, and the others don't pose a risk to the kiddos with challenges, there is no reason to ever segregate them in the classroom as long as there are available resources imho.

2. Would a 8:4 ratio of special needs to regular students make a difference? (There is 1 teacher and 1 assistant).

Would all depend on exactly what challenges you were dealing with. 8:4 might be overkill in some dynamics, under in others (considering licensing regs need to be met I'm assuming 1 teacher and 1 assistant would be the minimum almost across the board in these sorts of classrooms?)

3. If you were to pair a child with special needs with a regular child who has difficulty with listening, rule following, and behavior issues, could that benefit the regular child, possibly by giving them responsibility and helping them take a leadership role?

Absolutely.

My own two children demonstrate compassion, tolerance, patience and confidence far beyond their years.

This isn't just my very biased opinion as their mother, I get comments on it from family and friends, their pre-k evaluators, their teachers, coaches, friends parents, strangers at the grocery store etc. etc. etc.


4. Would the peer mentoring program benefit all parties in all situations?

Again, would depend entirely on the challenges the children were faced with and how equipped the adult in charge of the group is.


5. Experts say that birth-5 is a crucial learning period for children. Would it affect a regular child's normal social to be placed in a classroom setting with twice as many children with special needs 4 days a week? Or would the opposite be true?

I agree with the experts but I think there is actually far more impact birth to 3. 3-5 is far more forgiving.

I don't think that a severely impacted child can influence another child's development any more than a mildly impacted one can. As long as the adult influence is appropriate and the child has the adequate outlets to develop their own personal abilities they shouldn't be hindered at all.


6. Would you send your child to be a preschool peer mentor?

Absolutely.

I wish more parents would be open to the idea because I really feel like in most circumstances the potential for everyone to benefit is very very high.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Very interesting.

I would send my young child to a school like this if it was 50/50. But, with the ratio that you are stating this school is no. I would not.
I've worked with many SN children in the past and present.

[Angelsj]

I agree with Willow on most points, but I do feel that ratio is a bit high. Are you sure it isn't 2:1 neurotypical to special needs kids?
I suppose if it were kids with mild needs such as asperger's or a blind child and not all difficult behaviors, it would be different.
My concern is that your kids already seem to have behaviors of their own. Will they come back if it doesn't work?

[Heidi]

I agree with Willow on most points, but I do feel that ratio is a bit high. Are you sure it isn't 2:1 neurotypical to special needs kids?
I suppose if it were kids with mild needs such as asperger's or a blind child and not all difficult behaviors, it would be different.
My concern is that your kids already seem to have behaviors of their own. Will they come back if it doesn't work?

THis is what I was wondering about the ratios.

One teacher and one assistant to 12 children, 8 of them "atypical", sounds really high, unless those children with more extreme special needs also come with one-on-ones, or if the special needs are really minor.

This is a program run by a reputatible organization, like a university or hospital, right?

[youretooloud]

THis is what I was wondering about the ratios.

One teacher and one assistant to 12 children, 8 of them "atypical", sounds really high, unless those children with more extreme special needs also come with one-on-ones, or if the special needs are really minor.

This is a program run by a reputatible organization, like a university or hospital, right?

I've noticed at the grade school around here, the "special needs" kids are often just speech needs. They qualify for special needs, even though they only need help with speech. The one at the grade school by my house, has one girl in a wheelchair, but is functional in every way other than her body working easily. The other kids have varying levels of speech therapy, or behavior problems. Maybe a few fall on the spectrum, but from my small involvement, you can't really tell. But, I have seen that the neurotypical kids play together with the wheelchair girl (she's pretty charming) but, they also happen to be all girls.

The boys play together a little bit, but tend to play alone. The one little girl I see every day tells me everything about the day, and who sat where, and who got in trouble, and who had a capri sun for lunch etc...but, she never really mentions the boys unless it's something bad. (all the boys are named Aiden, Jayden or Hayden..cracked me up) So, how much of that is "girls like girls only at age four" or "those boys are too much to handle"?

[SunshineMama]

THis is what I was wondering about the ratios.

One teacher and one assistant to 12 children, 8 of them "atypical", sounds really high, unless those children with more extreme special needs also come with one-on-ones, or if the special needs are really minor.

This is a program run by a reputatible organization, like a university or hospital, right?

This is a state funded public preschool, so I can only assume that they are reputable and well within ratios. The program only stated "special needs," so I do not know the range of abilities of all of the children. A severely affected child may come with an aid, for example.

[MarinaVanessa]

Before I started my DC my best friends mom started her own daycare because of the issues she found with trying to find DC for her own son with down syndrome. She was looking for a DC that integrated both special needs children with children without special needs and could not find one so she went back to college and focused on child development for special needs children and then started her own daycare.

When my own DD needed a daycare I signed up with my best friends mom. The ratio was 50/50. Her son, a 3yo DCB and a 30yo woman (with the development of a 4yo) all had down syndrome and my DD and 2 other children did not. I know it's not for everyone but I for one am glad that I did it. My DD learned compassion, patience, role modeling and respect for people that are not like her. Now almost 8 she feels confident and unafraid of kids with special needs. She defends against teasing and taunting at her school towards the special education children and is a helper in the special ed class. For us it worked.

My BF mom found herself a niche in our area and she became high in demand. Services like hers aren't common around here. She hired her daughter and expanded and still does 50/50; 6 special needs children, 6 children without special needs. Her program however is extremely extensive and she has recieved a lot of hands on training through programs for special needs children which includes integration. I believe that if the program is a good one that there is a great chance the special needs children can thrive wonderfully and learn from their peers and that their peers can thrive as well. Not all of the children are toegther all day, the special needs children have their therapist and teachers (provided privately by the parents or through the state) that come into her home to work individualy with the kids and the non special needs kids are given that time to do a pre-school curriculum. For her it's balanced and there's something for everyone which is great so If the program could balance out and rpovide for the needs of both the special needs and non special needs children then I wouldn't have a problem with having my child in a prgram like that.