Autism is a huge issue that may affect many daycare providers or those that own childcare centers.  Diane Van Driesen, Director of Autism Services for the Wawa Eden House, clarifies autism spectrum disorder and describes special services for autistic children. Van Driesen also provides advice for parents of autistic children who are searching for child care and for daycare providers who care for autistic children.

OwnADaycare: Must autistic children go to schools for children with special needs or can they attend a “traditional” daycare or preschool?

Van Driesen: Typical preschools are rarely prepared to offer a child with autism the support and therapy he/she needs to progress. For very young children on the autism spectrum, social settings may be extremely challenging. Children with autism may not learn through imitation (one of the basic difficulties inherent in autism), so just being around typical peers usually is not enough to learn social skills. In addition, the noise, physical interaction and high level of expectation in a typical preschool may be overwhelming.

Even with a one-on-one support at school, a child with autism may have a difficult time with behavioral and/or sensory challenges, such as circle time, sharing, and so forth. Teachers without specific training may not know how to help your child manage his or her behaviors. Also, typical preschool programs are not set up to provide the kind of intensive therapeutic programs so often recommended by professionals.   When preparing to send your child to preschool I highly recommend that you discuss preschool options with the professionals that evaluate and provide services to your child and family.  When making decisions about preschools for your child, there is “one size fits all”; each child will have individual needs and preschool programming should reflect these individual needs. (more…)

Autism is a huge issue that may affect many daycare providers or those that own childcare centers.  Diane Van Driesen, Director of Autism Services for the Wawa Eden House, clarifies autism spectrum disorder and describes special services for autistic children. Van Driesen also provides advice for parents of autistic children who are searching for child care and for daycare providers who care for autistic children.

OwnADaycare: What is autism? How and when is it diagnosed?

Van Driesen: Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that affects a child’s ability to communicate, understand language, play, and relate to others.  Autism is considered a “spectrum disorder” meaning that its symptoms and behaviors can present itself in a variety of combinations from mild to severe.  Children with autism process and respond to information in unique ways.

Among the early signs and symptoms that parents and Pediatricians look for to alert them that a child needs further evaluation for autism include: (more…)

Separation anxiety is a stage of development in which children become anxious, nervous, or scared upon separation from a parent and is normal in preschool and daycare.

Children may cry and cling to parents at daycare center drop-off time, need a carry a security item throughout the day, and/or cry at pick up time. Separation anxiety typically peaks between the ages of 12 months and two years.

Our interview with Dr. Shannon Ayers, assistant research professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research, discusses the issue of separation anxiety in the daycare and preschool setting.

OwnADaycare: Can you define separation anxiety in preschool aged children and some of its characteristics? At what age range is separation anxiety most common?

Dr. Ayers: Separation anxiety is at its highest intensity between 6 months and 3 years.  It is when the child’s relationship with their caregiver has become more intense and exclusive.   Resistance to separation occurs, but the child should exhibit happiness upon reunion.  With preschool children, they are beginning to understand other persons’ intentions and can often cognitively understand that a parent will return.  It is reassurance that this will occur that is important as the child struggles and that this plan is followed through consistently to build trust.  For example, a parent should not suggest that she will pick the child up after snack and then get held up and not come until after rest time.   A child may feel anxious, nervous, and/or scared about the new environment and fear being alone.  Over time, with appropriate interventions and environment, this fear should become less intense.  However the child may have some relapses such as when he or she is sick, tired, after a vacation, or if there is a big change in the family like a new sibling or a move.

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One important duty of childcare centers and preschools is to prepare children to enter preschool. Is your child preschool ready?

In this interview with Stacey Kannenberg, co-author of the award winning, California and Texas Approved books Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!, discusses signs of kindergarten readiness.

OwnADaycare: What is kindergarten readiness?  Is there a best age to start kindergarten?

Kannenberg: I believe age 5 is the best time to start Kindergarten.  It might not always work that way due to late birthdays. But I also believe parents and preschool or daycare teachers can start getting children ready for Kindergarten as early as age 2.  Children at a young age can start to learn their colors, shapes, numbers and the alphabet.

OwnADaycare: What are some signs of kindergarten readiness that parents and educators should look for with respect to concept, physical, number, language, reading, and writing development?

Kannenberg:

• Concept development – children will be tested on basic shapes, colors, the numbers 1-10 and the alphabet mixed up
• Physical development – children should be able to use the bathroom, independently as well as able have good motor skills
• Social and emotional development – Share, take turns, answer questions with more than a yes or no response
• Number concept – be able to recognize numbers out of sequence, count objects to 10, start to count toward 100

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Here are some of the most important things you have to make sure of when it comes to a day care center for your child.
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