Special Needs

Kids World Helping Special Needs Kids in Preschool
October 10th, 2005 @ 2:51pm
Coco Warner Reporting

It can be challenging to find a good preschool for your children, especially if any of them have a disability. That's why parents and educators are so enthused about a new school in Murray that caters to the special needs student.

Child experts say early education is crucial for children, especially those with disabilities, like autism. But finding affordable programs that take in students with special needs can be difficult, which was the inspiration behind Kids World.

Making a world of difference in a child's life at Murray's Kids World preschool, starts in typical fashion, with a big yellow school bus. But that's where the similarities to other preschools end.
Brandon Francis, Kids World Preschool: "I had been with the school district and decided to open up a private practice because there's not a lot of options out there for kids with disabilities."

Kids World specializes in serving students, ages two through six, with special needs, like Autism and Downs Syndrome. But they also welcome children without any disabilities, hoping the students can model the positive behavior.

Brandon Francis: "We have about eight to ten kids in a class with two or three adults, and typically four kids with disabilities and four kids without disabilities."

Kim Pinkston's five-year old son McClain was diagnosed with autism at age two. His speech regressed and he started to withdraw into his own world.

Kimberly Pinkston, Student's mom: "My goal with him in bringing him to preschool is to get him socialized and get his mind back on track with what a kindergartner would do."

At Kids World, what's very helpful and fairly rare in the preschool setting is the one on one attention disabled students get from their teachers.

Brandon Francis, Kids World: "The unique thing we do after that is that we have work box sessions where the children get to sit down one on one with an adult and work on different skills they have to work on."

And Kim has really noticed the difference for McClain; she says his verbal skills have improved greatly.

Kim Pinkston, Student's Mom: "It's great to hear your kid talking, when they didn't talk for so long!"

Right now there are still openings in morning and afternoon sessions.