Referrals to the program are parent driven. When a parent contacts the preschool supervisor, the child’s name is placed on a list for consideration for the next available school year. As a position becomes available within the program, families are contacted in the order in which they appear on this list. An evaluation is then conducted in order to determine if services are appropriate for the child. The classrooms located in the Jordan district serves only families residing in that district. Once the initial referral has been made, and the child is waiting for placement, the family becomes eligible to participate in all parent workshops and clinic programming if desired. To place your child on the school list, please contact the Autism Preschool Supervisor, Dawn Armstrong @ 581-0194.

AIDE CLINIC

The Clinic at the Pingree Center was designed in an effort to provide services to children and families who are currently on the waiting list for the full day preschool treatment program. The Clinic is a partial day treatment program that offers three hours of treatment a day Monday through Wednesday for a period of five months. Parents are given a choice between a morning session which runs from 8:00-11:00 a.m. and an afternoon session that runs from 11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. The times and sessions are based on availability. Transportation from centralized locations is offered to and from each session.

YOUR CHILD’S DAY
The programming utilized in the Clinic is very similar to the programming used in the full day preschool program. We combine a variety of teaching philosophies and programs including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), discrete trial format, TEACCH, total language approach (saying and signing), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and play based approaches to meet your child’s individual needs. The student to staff ratio ranges from 2:1 for the majority of individual treatment sessions to a small group setting during diversified intervention and snack. Because of the shorter service time, the Clinic focuses on individual skills development sessions and offers minimal group time. Two of the three hours of treatment consist of sessions during which your child will be working on individualized goals utilizing core programs. The third hour of treatment consists of diversified intervention, snack, and taking care of toileting needs. Diversified intervention groups include fine motor activities/art activities, language/music activities, and gross motor/sensory issues. Social skills and play skills are addressed during group activities, individual sessions, and the time between each activity. Self-help skills are addressed through out the day in natural contexts such as arrival, snack, clean up, toileting, and departure.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent participation is highly encouraged in the Clinic. Our goal is for each family to learn strategies which empower them to support their child’s overall development including attending skills, communication, compliance, and behavior management. The Clinic offers parent in-services twice during each five month period in an effort to help parents learn these strategies. In addition, we recommend that parents participate in the Clinic three hours a month to observe and practice the strategies which are discussed during in-services.

HOW TO START
The process for receiving services through the Clinic begins with a call to the Carmen B. Pingree Center Clinic coordinator upon which your name will be placed on the waiting list. Upon availability, a date will be scheduled for a comprehensive evaluation for your child. This process will consist of a routine psychiatric evaluation and resulting diagnosis provided by our on staff psychiatrist, a parent intake facilitated by our program coordinator, and developmental testing conducted by our teaching staff. The information collected during the evaluation will then be reviewed by a multidisciplinary team to determine whether the Clinic is an appropriate treatment and placement for your child. You will be notified of the team’s decision and upon acceptance, your child will begin receiving services through the Clinic at the beginning of the next session. Your child may transition from the Clinic into full day preschool program as his/her name advances to an available placement.

COST
The cost for the Clinic program is free for children with Medicaid and a current Medicaid card. Please contact the clinic coordinator for more information about private pay costs.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Marin Bywater, C.S.W., 581-0194
Kristie Thompson-Huffaker, M Ed, Preschool Program Manager