| Meg started
in the NECC preschool program
when she was four and a
half years old. After 2
years of intensive instruction,
while Meg had made much
progress, she was not yet
ready to be included in
her local public school.
Meg was able to use her
PEC’s book to tell
anyone what she needed.
Through her training in
vocal imitation, she had
a repertoire of many single
words, and was just beginning
to combine them into simple
sentences. Needing to be
with older children, Meg
moved to the Intensive Classroom
component of the Day School.
In the Intensive Day
Classroom, Meg continued
to have one-to-one direct
instruction. In addition
to her continued work
on communication, developing
leisure skills, and life
skills training, Meg also
began to attend the academic
classroom for an hour
each morning. There, she
worked on beginning reading
and writing, and some
basic number concepts.
Meg’s teacher Alison
continued to go home with
her for 2 hours every
week, and they focused
on activities Meg can
be a part of in her home
community.
Now 8 years old, Meg’s
teacher has started to
accompany her to her local
2nd grade classroom a
few mornings each week.
So far things are going
well, but the process
has been a slow one, as
Meg can be easily overwhelmed.
Meg’s family is
optimistic, but also comforted
by the realization that
if this becomes too much
for Meg, she can continue
in NECC’s Day School
for as long as she needs
to: “ Our goal is
for Meg to be able to
go to school with the
rest of the children in
our neighborhood, but
we also want to be realistic
in our expectations for
her. The pace of the public
school can be very overwhelming,
and it can be a struggle
for Meg to hold it together.
It is such a relief to
know that if the public
school is just too much
for Meg, she can stay
at NECC and continue to
learn the things she needs
to be successful as an
adult.”
|
