Autism Training for Preschool Teachers
The newly formed Autism Institute at Gwynedd Mercy College in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County (PA) plans to offer training and resources for teachers and other educators. It is first focusing on programs to train preschool teachers, “because officials believe they are in most need of help,” today’s PhillyBurbs.com notes:
Teachers of school-age children with autism usually have a good array of resources upon which to draw, said Deborah Schadler, head of the Autism Institute.
Teachers of preschool age children, though, often aren’t so lucky. And those teachers will probably have more and more children with autism coming into their classrooms, as more parents push to get their children into mainstream preschools
This is good to hear, that more parents are trying to have their autistic children attend mainstream preschool—-and that teachers are seeking ways to educate themselves to be ready.
Charlie’s preschool experience seems such a long time ago already. He did not attend a mainstream preschool and first went to a public preschool, half of whose children had special needs. We provided our own ABA-trained aide and Charlie did not have an easy time. The school was only twice a week for about two hours; sitting in a circle, listening to books being read, looking in the right direction—-the very basics were challenging for Charlie. As I look back, those few months of attending Keysor Elementary School in Kirkwood, Missouri, were the last time that Charlie was in a mainstream educational setting and for such long periods of time (yes, two hours was a long time for Charlie). We moved back to New Jersey in the early summer of 2001 and he has ever since been in a self-contained autism classroom, with a 1:1 ratio of teachers to students.
Back in preschool, the differences in skills—especially social ones—between “typical” kids and Charlie were much less. Now, the level of language, social ability, and academic skills of Charlie’s same-aged peers are far different from his and he needs to proceed at the pace and in the setting best suited to his needs.
And teachers who understand what those are—-that makes all the difference.
Tags: asd, asperger, autism, autism spectrum disorder, children, early childhood, pdd-nos, preschool, Psychology, special educationRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Education
6 opinions for Autism Training for Preschool Teachers
Niksmom
Feb 9, 2008 at 8:56 pm
“at the pace and in the setting best suited to his needs.
And teachers who understand what those are—-that makes all the difference.”
We need so many more of those teachers at the preschool level. Hopefully GM’s program will filter some educators down in to DE, too!
Kristina Chew, PhD
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:00 am
Yes, yes—-the need is everywhere—
RAJ
Feb 10, 2008 at 10:30 am
This is one of the more important intiatives that every school district should mandate. When my daughter was in a preschool handicapped program in 1988 in Woodbridge NJ, I informed the school board that was I pursuing a law suit to have the school district place her in the Douglass Developmental Center, a part of Rutgers , one of the leading programs for autistic children in the US.
After protracted negotiations with the school district they agreed to give her a full time aid and in the future all special education teachers who had an autistic child entering their classroom would be required to spend a week at the Douglass Developmental Center working side by side with special education teachers to gain critical insights into autism, autistic children and how to teach them.
Diane L. Soucy
Feb 10, 2008 at 7:08 pm
This article is about my youngest son, Matthew, who was the first in our district to receive approval to attend a public preschool for socialization. It was a battle hard fought, but so very worth it.
As Matthew’s mother, and his fiercest advocate, I have been developing a center for families and individuals living with specail needs. Please visit our website.
myadlcenter.org
Kristina Chew, PhD
Feb 10, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Thanks so much for providing the link to your site and for sharing Matthew’s story—-and for starting the ADL Center.
I also have to thank you for contacting me about the ADL Center in the past and apologize that it took so long, or rather too long, for me to write back about your plans. I very much like the mission and vision for the center and think that the kinds of activities that you plan are very much what is needed.
Thank you very, very much.
Deb Schadler
Sep 14, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I was very excited to read your recognition of our pre-school training programs. We are very encouraged by the number of pre-schools that have availed themselves to our training. We will be holding more trainings in the future and welcome parents (to the trainings) in helping identify those pre-schools to whom we can provide training and support.
In response to our teacher training programs, we are requiring all elementary teacher candidates to meet the requirements for pre-school, elementary and special education certification.
Thank you for all you are doing to help us “get the word out”.
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