Last week, Molly headed back to school alongside her sister Maggie.  And judging by the tight grip Molly had on her new lunchbag, I think it’s safe to say she was excited to see her friends and of course, play on the playground too.

While we had many options for sending Molly to school, we opted to return to the same school she attended last year with her sister. It’s a familiar setting for her, as she’s now in the class her sister was in last year – even the same teacher.  After talking with her teachers, it was agreed that Molly would move up to the three-years old class with her peers.  This is technically the class she belongs in, age-wise.  She attends three-days a week from 9am to 1pm – and new this year, she’s eating lunch at school too!

Her speech is still significantly delayed compared to the ‘typical’ children in her class, but besides that there isn’t much of a delay.  Just like any three-year old, she is easily distracted and could use some extra help with a few classroom skills – but when you are three, that’s what going to school is all about – learning!

In the coming months, we will begin the process of transitioning Molly into the Pre-K 3 program offered by our county’s public school system.  While we love Molly’s current school, this public program will allow Molly to receive the necessary therapies she needs (speech and OT) on a daily basis, whereas right now she’s going once a week.  She will also be in a class with peers that could also use an extra hand in other areas.

I’ll keep you posted as we make the transition into the new programs.  For now, we couldn’t be more excited that Molly is doing so well in school.  She comes home tired, but happy each day – that’s the number one sign a kid had a fun day at school!

What questions do you have about special needs and our school transition?