All About Autism

[ImMeeMee]

Cool Cool


When my daughter was diagnosed at 3 yo, we placed her in a 5-day EIPIC program, and supplemented with private therapy. She did not go to any mainstream CC until she was 6 years old, and by then my objective was for her to have some social interaction with NT kids.

Back then she attended a 3-hour daily afternoon program at the CC. It was a small CC setting and the P and teachers were kind and accommodating towards her. They tried their best for her to integrate with the rest of the children, but it was only to be expected that there were limitations. Lessons were conducted in the mornings, in the afternoons they did some reinforcement worksheets or hands-on activities. So my daughter missed out on the main lessons but she joined the rest in the reinforcement activities.

In all, I find that the experience was at best our attempt to give her some exposure in a mainstream environment, and adding on that little piece of memory for her. These days she still talks about her teachers and the school, but that it all to it. Was there any significant achievements in academics or social interactions? Maybe in the larger scheme of things that is unknown to me.

I am not discouraging you from going to kindy at this stage. Just sharing my experience, and you may want to think about your priorities. For our children, its never too late, and its one battle at a time.

JMHO

[seoulover]

Hi Cool Cool,


I completely understand your urgency about exposing your child to a mainstream environment. I told myself the same thing! Like your son, my girl is born in 2012. She was in childcare since 20 months old but I pulled her out just before she turned 3 so that she could attend EIPIC. The timings clashed so I had no choice but to settle only for one. Back then (this was 6 months ago), I told myself that I must send her to mainstream school again latest by the time she reaches four.

Just want to share that when she was in childcare back then and it was time for her to move up to N1, she was retained at the playgroup level due to her being non-verbal. It was the childcare centre that proposed it and I accepted their arrangement.

I have switched her to a different EIPIC (with a slightly better timing) this year and had to look for another mainstream environment that was near enough the EIPIC centre to facilitate travelling. I set out wanting to place her at one level lower than the norm. Though she has started to talk, she is still very far behind her same-age peers, especially in speech development. My experience has been this: childcare centres are fine with \"deferment\" while kindergartens are not. A kindergarten principal discouraged me from placing her in her school, saying that kindergartens are more academic in nature and because they are managed by MOE, delaying the child by one year is not encouraged (An appeal letter has to be written in to MOE, she claimed.) I finally found a suitable childcare centre for her and she is in N1 (She just started school this week ) Coincidentally, there wasn't any N2 vacancy so I settled for N1.

I hope this answers your question as to whether schools allow children to be placed in a lower level class. I know it's tough not to worry (I worry a lot too). It's good that we have this forum for support. Personally, I do agree with the rest that it's a must for your child to understand instructions well enough first. If he can't follow instructions well, there's a high likelihood that he will be left aside while the rest of the children continue with their activities. I would suggest focusing on that first (EIPIC should help with that, if not, ABA or OT). Then once your child reaches 4 this October, or 4+ at the beginning of next year, he will be better equipped for school. Jia you!

[Cool Cool]

Slmkhoo, ImMeeMee and Seoulover. Thanks a lot for your suggestion and comfort. Now I am relieved and less worried. I got a lot of info here. I need to work on to improve his receptive and expressive language first. After that teaching should be easy.

[lavendery]

Just want to check with mummies here. If the kid reaches 7 years old, does that means that KKH CDU will automatically discharge the kid?


Cos I believe this coming appointment with KKH CDU will probably marks the last appointment as she is of 7 years old now.

What is the next course of action then? The kid will be referred to IMH (did I get it correct) ? Just wondering which is better? KKH CDU or IMH? :scratchhead:

[chibi]

Hi lavendery,

I might be able to help you on this abit.
my daughter is 11 years old this year. she is still with KKH CDU for review.
we goes every 9-12 months for her review. she due for her review next Tuesday.
KKH CDU didn't discharge her. I won't allow them to discharge her too. hahaha. cause if anything happens or I really need assistance, touch wood touch wood, if they discharge her, I don't think they will help after that.

sigh now I having big problems with her mathematics problem sums. She is in mainstream P5 this year and her problem sums are driving me up the wall.
she has tuition once a week, so when she has those difficult problems sums in between, she n I can sit down and discuss the problem sums till around 11pm , but still no solutions. :stupid:
she told me\" Mummy, P5 mathematics oh my god!!! why isit so difficult????\" :gloomy:

[lavendery]

Hi Chibi,


Thanks you for your feedback. In this case I'll ask the KKH CDU doc not to discharge my girl too.
I thought it's a norm to be discharged by KKH once the kid reaches 7

It's so touching and comforting that knowing your girl is at pri 5 mainstream! I'm pretty sure your girl is doing pretty well.
Got such a dedicated mum revising and solving maths problem sums with her
Is mainstream academic and social tough for our ASD kids ?

[chibi]

Hi lavendery. Surprisingly my gal is coping quite well in mainstream pri sch. Seems like yest she just went into p1 but time flies so fast. She’s in p5 now and taking psle next year. I duno to cry anot cause it’s a huge jump from p4 to p5 work. Really sweat big time . Academically wise I will say she seems quite alright. She’s actually quite good in maths and in the 2nd best maths class. Ermm language wise she’s just average tho. She actually got the model pupil award last year during term 1 and gotten best progress award during her p4. Was quite surprised tho by her. In primary school teacher usually will give feedback over the sch app her maths teacher feedback last week that she’s coping well in class and seems very motivated and will help her classmates. I realized as she grows older she seems to mature a lot. She walks to school herself now. It’s a 15 minutes walk to sch. I started training her during the start of january for 2 weeks. She insisted on going school herself as she told me she needs to be prep for sec 1 2 years later.I teased her asking her I thought she commented that quite poor thing to go sch alone. But my heart aches tho cause her school bag is really big and heavy. She looks like a tortoise walking to school.I feel happy for her in my heart. What I thought not possible for her b4 she actually did it. I told a close friend whoever says my kid can’t do because of her condition I will tell them try us. Me and her together. My girl has a hobby now . She goes jogging weekly.

She can jog for 2.4km nonstop. She told me jogging relieves her stress. I guess that’s her way of coping when things get too overloaded for her.she has two younger siblings. The younger one is going p1 next year. My girl did tell me this ,"don’t tell me I need to carry didi bag for him to school next year. Oh no." My girl has her mood swings at times too. Just few days ago she gave me abit of attitude when I told her off for not checking her work.but was quite happy inside when she apologises next day over whatsapp telling me she wun do it again. Guess in life we win some we lose some. My girl has special needs. But it brought us closer. I know she been through a lot to get to p5. So next time whoever says our kids need try harder let’s tell them try us then.

[bs1975]

Hi experienced mummies,

Can share with me how EIPIC will help my kids in term of speech, joint attention, compliance and sensory issue.
My boy has attended eipic since last month and most of the time are spent on snack time, playground, art and craft. These things are also taught in childcare. I wonder how will these activities address his problem.
Today we have IEP meeting to set goal. Their expectation is very low as they set easy goals.
I really doubt if the so called early intervention is effective.

[Cool Cool]

Hi bs1975, My son is attending EIPIC in private centre. The main difference between EIPIC and main stream preschool is the students to teacher ratio. In my boy’s class, there are about 4-5 students and two teachers. For some schedule (e.g., ST, OT) there will be additional ST and OT therapist. So they can pay attention to individual student. Can work on one to one.


My son’s school time table includes Circle Time, Theme Based Numeracy, Early Language Skills, Fine Motor Play, Theme Based Literacy, Physical Play, Social & Motor Skills, Sensory Play, Numeracy, Theme Based Role Play, Core Language Skills, Literacy, Art and Crafts, Story time and vocabulary development, Music and Movement, Activities for Daily Living, Imaginary Play.

May be your son’s school also have that kind of time table and they follow according to the time table?

[bs1975]

Hi Cool Cool,

Which private eipic you are with? How many hours per week?
They can cover so many things?
My son eipic, only has circle time, some sensory play and art, playgym, hydrothetapy and snack time. That’s all.
I can’t find any pretend play toys in the class room!
Not much 1 on 1 OT and ST too. The therapist will only come in once in a while and advice teachers what to do.
No story telling session, no specific language session.
Maybe they think the kids are not able to do certain things such as pretend play and listening to story. So they don’t have these activities in the class.