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BUILT-IN THERAPY ; School Gives Special Education Preschoolers a Head Start

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

Anew school in Rio Rancho is giving special education preschool students a jump on their educations by providing a wide range of activities and services.

The Rio Rancho Public Schools opened its Early Learning Center this fall to centralize and expand the district's preschool education program.

At the center, teachers are more than just babysitters. They come with degrees and lots of experience in the field of special education.

The goal is to help the students succeed in school. Some, principal Suzanne Harper said, might even be able to enroll in a regular education classroom when they reach kindergarten.

The center provides a half day of preschool education for 3- and 4-year-old special education students. The children are tested beforehand to determine what special needs they may have.

Students are placed in special education for a variety of reasons. They might have developmental delays, physical handicaps or learning disabilities. Each class has at least one regular education student who acts as a model for the special education students.

Veteran teacher Julie Rivera has a class of 3-year-olds with developmental and vision issues. She has been a teacher for 21 years and decided to transfer from Colinas to the center.

"This is where I can make the most impact," she said. "But we are not babysitters. This is a therapeutic setting. The therapy is built into our program. That's what sets us apart from your traditional day-care setting."

Students work with physical therapists on a weekly basis. Harper said each classroom will eventually have a swing installed. The swing helps students understand their own body and the concepts of space and matter.

They also will be exposed to BrainDance, an exercise developed by Anne Green Gilbert in 2000. Green Gilbert, director of the Creative Dance Center and Kaleidoscope Dance Company in Seattle, Wash., patterned the dance after movements babies go through in their first year of life. Those specific movements help with brain development.

Including physical therapy, students will participate in a number of activities meant to enhance their academic development.

In the 4-year-old class of longtime teachers Mary Cunninghan and Debbie Ayers Friday morning, students created paper clothing for their paper bears. The activity sprung from a book by Nancy White Carlstrom, "Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?" The activity serves several purposes. In addition to exposing children to books, it helps develop fine motor skills, and teaches students about body parts, names of clothing and colors.

The center is housed on the old Ernest Stapleton Elementary campus and is also becoming a gathering place for families.

The school is offering several programs for families and parents at the Family Literacy Center. Adults can take parenting, computer, sign language, storytelling and English classes. They also can receive tutoring for the GED test and network with other parents.

In Children's Corner, parents can bring their babies and young children to play and they can meet other parents.

Source: Albuquerque Journal

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