Your Preschool Kid Could Help Less Fortunate Ones
Highland Park ISD is looking for five to 10 families willing to enroll their typically developing children in the district’s Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities. The theory is that the mere presence of the typical kids will benefit those with special needs. The families must meet the following criteria:
— The families must prove they reside within Highland Park ISD’s boundaries
— The children must have been 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1.
— The children cannot be eligible for special education services.
— The children must attend 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
— The families must agree to the tuition and guidelines associated with the inclusive program.
“As a former PPCD teacher, I have witnessed the power of access to same-age peers,” said Kami Burns, Highland Park ISD’s director for special programs. “This instructional arrangement expansion is another example of our unyielding commitment to excellence and exceptional academic programs that recognizes the unique potential of each student.”
An informational meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Bradfield Elementary, the site of the district’s PPCD program.
My now completely mainstreamed MIS student was once enrolled in the district’s PPCD program. Funny, I never thought of him as “less fortunate”.
While the presence of nuero-typical kids will most definitely benefit those with special needs, do not underestimate the benefit received by the typical kids from being taught alongside their special needs peers. I firmly believe my daughter’s above average EQ (empathy, non-verbal communication, etc.) is a direct result of her being exposed to the specific, explicit instruction my son received at home and in therapies during his formative years.
I think this is a wonderful idea all around. I am curious on this specific item in the criteria:
— The families must agree to the tuition and guidelines associated with the inclusive program.
I would find it very hard to “willingly enroll” my kids in an experimental program if I had to pay more.
@PC Mom: I have an autistic son and a neurotypical son. I definitely think of the former as less fortunate than the latter. But that’s just me.
@Dan: fair enough.