Preschool Visits are done...

.....and I got what I was hoping out of this visit -- confirmation that it's not an ideal choice for either of my kids. PEP is a good program overall. But right now, I don't think that neither Rachel nor Simon will benefit from that level of service -- they just need both more time (in the form of a longer day) and more intensity. I visited 3 of the PEP programs today -- PEP-Classic, PEP-INC and PEP-Beginnings. Classic and INC are the two programs that were considered appropriate for my kids at this time.

I also took Simon back to MPAC yesterday for a visit so that I can get an idea of how he would do with their program. It really does seem to be a good fit. They don't focus on a single style of teaching, but work more globally with these kids. Considering that we don't really seem to know what works best for Simon, having a less specific program really seems to work more towards his strengths and needs and will also be sure he doesn't fall into a rut in expecting something specific. Simon tends to get locked into something once he gets used to it. This kind of program will reduce that dependence, I think. Additionally, it's a longer day which will allow him to receive the wide range of services I think he requires -- speech, PT and OT as well as classroom time, without sacrificing his learning.

Now, with only 2 weeks (from today) to go before our meeting we need to make sure that we get the services we feel are appropriate and correct. But, at the same time, we need to go into the meeting with an open mind and listen to what they have to say. That means that the "opinionated" Ilene needs to be able to keep her mouth shut. It's not something that I excel at. But, I will have to do my best....