Angie in Pre-School

When Angie entered the pre-school her teachers and staff had limited experience with children with autism. They were all very willing, however, to collaborate with Angie’s parents to help Angie succeed in the school. They felt she had potential for improving her communication skills and ability to work more comfortably in a preschool group setting, but were unsure how to proceed or whether she was “ready.”

At this time, Angie’s parents began to recognize the magnitude of Angie’s problems and also their own need for training and information on how best to meet Angie’s needs.

Although Angie’s teachers have been successful in decreasing the frequency of behavior outbursts in the classroom, she still required one-to -one instruction to maintain focus. Her stereotypic behaviors interfere with instruction. She was becoming more difficult to handle at home, particularly for the grandfather. She began hitting her brothers and taking their things. Her parents told their local doctor they thought Angie was frustrated at school and was “taking it out” on the family.

They started to question whether the local school district was really equipped to handle their daughter.