Developmental Specialists

[Controlled Chaos]

I interviewed a family wanting to come mornings just for preschool - which I explained I don't really do. I am a daycare with an exception preschool curriculum but not a "preschool". Well, they didn't seem to get it which is fine, I am not offering them a spot. But they kept talking about how at his old daycare there was a behavioral specialist who came every week to see the kids. Is this normal? What exactly does a behavioral specialist do at a daycare? The mom kept saying "the specialist tells us he ready for preschool!" in this super proud way. Well dcb is 3.5 so yea...he is ready a normal 3.5 can handle a half day preschool.

Do any of you have a specialist come like this? What is their role?

[finsup]

If I were to guess, one of the kiddos there needed some extra help and the specialist just included everyone. I've seen that happen a few times before. I don't think its normal to have one come in if they're not actually needed though. As for what they do...that all depends on what the need of the chikd is so there could be a lot of different answers

[Sunshine74]

I could see it being one of a few things. It could have been their child who needed the specialist and they didn't want to say that. Or it could have been what finsup said. I student taught at a head start but it was an integrated classroom where half the children were from a special needs program. When the specialists came in, a lot of the time they would join what our plan was for the day and just give assistance to the child they were there to see.

[Controlled Chaos]

ok thanks. I have very little experience with specialists obviously. Does the state or the child's insurance pay for that? I can't imagine the providers are proving the service...