Madison Mother's Day Out programs for toddler with autism (Huntsville: daycare, preschool)

[phantomplan]

Hi guys,

We found out our child (2 year old) has high functioning autism. He does really well for the most part and plays well with kids he knows, but tends to need help when put in a new social situation with other kids that are unfamiliar to him (for example he might go to a corner and play by himself, cry, etc.). Does anyone have any good recommendations for Mother's Day Out programs in Madison for a child in this scenario?

He is behind on speech, so we thought having him around other children his age who are talking once a week along with therapy would be a big benefit for him. We thought sticking around with him for the first few days until he's acclimated would probably be the best approach.

Any answers/help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[BMW Dave]

My neighbor has a son with Aspergers, he is grown now, but she may know of something for younger children.

She has a mom get together once a week, I know of.

[BMW Dave]

Well Ellen got back with me and doesn't know of any in Madison, but here are some helpful links


Making Connections is an organization in the Huntsville metro area that helps families affected by autism spectrum disorders. Their website has lots of helpful information. www.makingconnectionsasd.com/
email: makingconnections@autism-alabama.org

The Riley Center is a facility located in Huntsville that, in addition to other services, has day programs for children on the spectrum.
The Riley Center | Services to children ages 2-11 diagnosed with Autism

The Autism Society of Alabama The Autism Society of Alabama

[phantomplan]

Thanks Dave! I sincerely appreciate the response

[zenjenn]

He does really well for the most part and plays well with kids he knows, but tends to need help when put in a new social situation with other kids that are unfamiliar to him (for example he might go to a corner and play by himself, cry, etc.

If the behavior described is the biggest concern, a lot of normal 2-yr-olds behave this way, too, and is not beyond the capacity for any decent pre-school program to deal with.

Not sure about Madison but in Huntsville there are free public preschool options for age 3-5 for just this purpose. (Half special-needs kids and half regular students for the benefits of integration/exposure.)

[sharon92850]

As a Mom of four higher functioning autistic children all under 8 years old, I would say that Zennjenn is correct. The school system does not offer anything until age 3. For children under 3, there is Early Intervention (for ST, OT, and PT) and you can use private programs like MMO. I would make sure the teachers and staff are aware of the diagnosis. Maybe even give them a copy of his eval to file. I would be most concerned with behavior that is based on sensory issues (such as intolerance to certain noises), over stimulation, and frustration out of an inability to communicate. A good teacher will understand and be able to react quickly whenever issues occur. I would not fret about socializing him with other children as much as I would worry about one-on-one teaching. YOU are by far his best teacher and the more one-on-one you can give him, the better he will do. If you attend church and he is in classes there, then he is getting interaction with other kids. The most important thing is the one-on-one. I can't emphasize that enough. In most cases, you are the best person for that job!

[CoreLysium]

If the kid is high functioning, try not to segregate him. My wife is a preschool teacher and she has kids with autism and they do just fine. A little awkward, but no big deal. One of the kids she absolutely loves because of the very non-child-like conversations they have.

If I remember correctly, 2-yr-olds are all about "parallel play" anyhow.

But, my totally non-professional opinion, don't segregate the high functioning.

I was about to hit post when I realized, hey, I think my wife is actually doing 2s and 3s at Grace Lutheran's daycare (we're not Lutheran, and it really doesn't matter anyway). It's not in Madison, but I thought I'd mention it. Classes start next week, but I think there is a waiting list for some ages.

Hope this helps. (And pardon my possible rambling. Energy drinks, woof, I need to quit them.)

[tammig]

Check out Fitting the Pieces facebook page. A network group for parents with children diagnosed with autism in limestone county for both parents of Athens city and county schools. https://www.facebook.com/pages/fitti...28778763853746