Toddler not participating in class

[helloagain]

DesertWind:

Hi kylene,


Just to share my experience. I put my DS at 2 yo into a nearby CCC for about half-a-year. He would run in happily each day and I did not suspect anything not right since at home he was OK. But after 3 months, his teacher feedback that he did not want to sit down and pay attention. I thought he just needed some time to grow up and at that age, I thought \"playgroup\" means \"play\" so no big deal mah? Then after another 3 months, I noticed my son was not quite the same already. He has lost his smiley nature even at home and seems less active and \"talking\" less. At the end of 6 months, his teacher called me in for a talk and I got a shock by what she said. That time my boy was 2.5 yo and she said that my boy does not answer to them when they speak to him, did not look at them when spoken to, was messy with his eating (news to me he was usually very neat at home!), and still did not want to sit still and listen to the teacher during lesson time. She mentioned bringing my son for a developmental checkup and that was when I was so alarmed I pulled him out!

My gut-felt conclusion: my son was still a little too young, he needs time to grow up and the CCC was really not suitable for him because the teachers were not able to engage him for whatever reasons. Also the format of the CCC is such that my boy could not fit in because he is by nature quite active.

So after I pulled him out, I put him into a private early intervention centre with a very small class size. Problem solved, he enjoyed going to school and the teachers and principal were great! He enjoyed himself doing various activities, went for outings to the zoo and indoor playground, children's day party, orff music lesson once a week, learned the alphabets and 123s there etc. So for \"the year turning three\", he spent about 9 months at the early intervention centre and at the recommendation of his principal, I registered him into a kindergarten with very supportive teachers for \"the year turning four\".

This year he has started Nursery at a church-based kindergarten and so far has fitted in well, can sit and listen to the teachers already and able to follow the kindergarten time-table and school environment ok. He has speech delay though and while the majority of his classmates can already chat away, he still can't. His teachers asked me about it and I said we have brought him to KKH already and we will continue to monitor him this year on his speech development.

So kylene, for your boy, I just feel that you really need to evaluate whether the CCC is suitable for your child or not at this stage. Because if the teachers are not able to engage him for whatever reasons, you should consider switching. Furthermore, he was already there for a year! If I were in your shoes, yes, I will certainly give him more time since your boy is still so young at 2.5 yo but I will also be urgently looking out for another centre/kindergarten for him already and will not continue to leave him at this CCC. If nothing else, I would want to find out whether is it the child or the centre like seeking a 2nd opinion from another centre/teachers. Look for a centre with smaller class size and patience and nice teachers who can engage your child suitably. Do not go for the \"same type\" of CCC as this current one, look for one with a different cirriculum/format.

Am no expert but just sharing my experience. All the best!

:celebrate:

Hi Desertwind

Do u mind sharing which early intervention centre u sent your son to? My son is also not participating well in school, he has speech delay and likes to walk around perhaps bcos of his short attention span and of course with his speech delay, he doesn't respond to qns v well too. The school teachers on one hand tell me they are not specially trained to deal with him but on the other hand also said he shouldn't be in special school, currently he isn't attending any school bcos his last sch (montessori) actually left him alone doing nothing, I was v disappointed when i saw that n when i ask the teacher to prompt him to do something or help him to change the montessori materials, she jus replied he doesn't want to, but the 2 hrs i was there, i don't see the teachers made any effort in trying.. but when i call up other schools to check on accepting his enrolment, many shaun him away bcos they say they don't have the resource to guide him on one-to-one. Although i said i didn't ask for 1-to-1, they jus say they can't put in more focus on him bcos they got the other kids to attend to.. v disappointing and am now stuck with school options. I was thinking mayb a gd early intervention centre can help him. He is already coming 4 this yr, i'm worried he won't b able to catch up. He already wasted first half of this yr. Pls share the costs too.

u can pm me if you prefer.

thanks!

[DesertWind]

helloagain:

Hi Desertwind

Do u mind sharing which early intervention centre u sent your son to? ..... but when i call up other schools to check on accepting his enrolment, many shaun him away bcos they say they don't have the resource to guide him on one-to-one. Although i said i didn't ask for 1-to-1, they jus say they can't put in more focus on him bcos they got the other kids to attend to.. v disappointing and am now stuck with school options. I was thinking mayb a gd early intervention centre can help him. He is already coming 4 this yr, i'm worried he won't b able to catch up. He already wasted first half of this yr. Pls share the costs too.
u can pm me if you prefer. thanks!

Hi helloagain,

I have PM you!
I am facing similar issues as you.
Do share via PM!
Best regards.

[phtthp]

hi helloagain,


you may consider ‘The Children Vineyard’. I just spoke to Principal Judy.
she told me last time got some kid encounter speech delay. She worked very closely with the speech therapists, tried her best to improve the child’s speech.

on Mother’s day, the child actually sang a song in front of the whole school, for his mother. His mum cried, very touched emotionally. Principal Judy has a heart for such children. She is someone who really teach out of her heart. She has compassion. Above all, she is a very dedicated loving lady. She said to me … what’s the point of having an academically intelligent child, but very rebellious in character ? so she also work on building the virtues and character from young in kids.

later, i pm you her telephone number. Check yr pm 15 mins later. Do give her a call. She is a very comforting, pleasant lady to talk to. When you talk to her, you feel at peace, can learn a lot of things from her precious advice.

it’s a small school. She emphasise - quality time spent on children there.

[helloagain]

Hi bluebelt


Thanks for ur reply. It sound like a great place but I jus google, the place is at woodland? I’m staying at southeast so it’s v far for me.

Thanks alot anyway for the suggestion. It’s really touching that the Sch actually put in the effort to teach the child to sing for his mum. My son has words n can sing but not in sentences when he talks, his language skills n comprehension is still lackin behind his peers. His language skills is like a 2 yr old but he can spell n read, count to 100. He still don’t understand words like under, over, above, or, you, me etc.

[phtthp]

hi helloagain,


sorry, forgot to mention that this is a new school starting next yr 2012. Principal Judy said she is still looking for a suitable place to house the new school. She said she is considering Joo Chiat area. Joo Chiat near to where you are currently staying, south east.

she said once she register the school officially, she will arrange for school bus transport to pick up kids.

why not you call her up, find out more, regarding your son? she is a pleasant lady to talk to. She gave me lots of sound advice! I feel much at ease and peaceful, talking to her. I had given you her telephone contact via pm.

Principal Judy of ‘The Children Vineyard’ has a heart for such children. She is someone who really teach, out of her heart. She has compassion and mercy. Above all, she is a very dedicated loving lady. At the same time, she also work on building the virtues and character from young in kids.

[PiggyLalala]

Hi desertwind, what is an ‘early intervention school’? Is it the school where the mild autistic child may need to attend 2 to 3 times a day. Thanks.

[helloagain]

Hi bluebelt


That's gd news! Joo chiat is near my place! Ok I'll call her!

Thanks!!

[DesertWind]

PiggyLalala:

Hi desertwind, what is an 'early intervention school'? Is it the school where the mild autistic child may need to attend 2 to 3 times a day. Thanks.

Hi PiggyLalala,
You can check out this website on the services they provide.
http://www.eic.sg/
Cheers.

[phtthp]

usually go KK hospital (kkh) for speech tests require a few rounds of testing. Very tiring! But doctors need to do a few rounds with the child, so as to confirm is it a brain problem, or is it the child’s inability to understand language ?


if is a language issue, then need to send him for speech therapy.

for speech delay, the waiting queue at kkh is very, very long!
per session of speech therapy treatment at kkh costs around $60.
if go private, queue shorter, per session costs around $100.

if can, go private.

[helloagain]

Hi bluebelt


My son is seeing a private language therapist since last nov, I ve seen improvements but still way behind his peers. He do understand some instructions, it’s jus that we need to teach him slowly more words by repeating n show him many times what the words meant, v much like teaching a foreign student of no English background, he jus started sentences recently, he started saying words only mid last yr (Abt 2yrs 8-9mths old). He has Also seen Nuh Cdu pd n attending Ot there.