Selecting Daycare for Autistic Children
Children With Autism in Traditional Preschool or Daycare
Oct 29, 2009
Preschoolers with autism should receive specialized programming if possible. However, daycare facilities that specialize in the instruction and care of children with autism spectrum disorder are extremely uncommon, leaving many families to rely on local and traditional day care facilities. There are a few qualities that that parents of autistic children should look for when selecting preschool or daycare for their child.
Proper Preschool Environments for Autistic Children
“Optimally, it is essential to choose a daycare provider that understands the social and communication issues common to autism and is well equipped to provide the support needed to acquire these skills successfully,” says Cr. Van Driesen, Director of Autism Services for the Wawa Eden House.
The most important thing to look for in a preschool is a tolerance for differences, and a willingness to have therapists who are trained in structures in the classroom. “Often the child is expanding their home program into the preschool, so his or her language, social, and behavioral goals are established and it is critical that instructional opportunities be identified with peers,” says Dr. Bill Frea, autism expert and creator of the autism program at California State University, Los Angeles.
Parents should check appropriate licensing for Pre-K and daycare. These programs should also have some type of academic component, says Santiago.
The parents of children with autism should look for a highly structured environment in a daycare or preschool environment. “This environment should provide autistic children with everyday skills to make them as independent as possible. Socialization should exist. There should be structured movement and play,” explains Edwin Santiago, a DPT who specializes in working with children diagnosed with PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders).
This environment should include a low ratio of staff to children. Dr. Diane Van Driesen suggests that parents investigate details such as the teacher to student ratio and class size. Smaller classes are often the best environment for children with social interaction issues, providing opportunities to learn social skills without the pressure of large, overwhelming numbers of peers on which to practice them. However, ensure that there is enough space as to not compromise the safety of the children.
Support Services for Autistic Preschoolers
It may be appropriate for support services such as early intervention to be provided within the daycare setting to assist and train staff. Parents should look for the availability of early intervention services and make sure they are advocating for augmentative services for their child. When a parent looks at a daycare or preschool they should look to programs that focus on a child-centered approach to all decision making.
There are preschool handicapped programs that can provide for a myriad of services to the child to ensure success. “Depending on the needs of the child they should look at factors that include ongoing assessment tools, speech and language services, occupational and physical therapy (from a certified therapist), and family inclusion in decision making”, says Michele Adubato, autism spectrum disorder expert and executive deputy director of The North Ward Center in Newark. For example, how is the family trained to support the child and how is parent involvement executed? Is the school sensitive to the culture of the family and provided in the native language of the family?
Children with autism spectrum disorder can attend a traditional daycare or preschool if there is a trained staff with appropriate credentials and within a proper environment.
*Interviews with Edwin Santiago, Dr. Diane Van Driesen, Dr. Bill Frea and Michele Adubato were conducted in October, 2009.
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