Needing Some Advice About My 3 Yr Old

All children develop or learn things at there own pace. My son had similar ways when I put him in preschool for the first time. They had someone observe him and said that he needed a little assistance. I was thinking well help him go to the restroom, hold a pencil, and draw a circle. I eventually took him out of the school and we both went looking for another that fit him. He is now 4 going on 5 and is doing well in his new school. All the complaints that they had weren't serious the way that they made it. My son is happy there and is playing well with the other children. he need to adjust and the staff need to make him/her feel comfortable. I believe each child develops different. He just need time to adjust before he gets all the labeling. Good luck!

Goodness! He's 3! I think your suspicions are exactly right. Not only is he 3, but he is a BOY! They want all children to be like little girls. Our boys are so feminized, and they drug them if they aren't. Boys need to run and play and do boy things. If it were my son, I'd pull him out of that daycare/preschool and foster his particular needs and discovery style. Blessings to you! (and don't let them drug him!!)

I guess this is a preschool associated with the public schools to have an IEP scholarship program. They know three year olds have short attention spans. they must be seeing other things if they are concerned about his social skills. do you see him socializing with other children at play dates or playground? You should ask a lot of questions and TAKE notes-meetings go by quickly and you want to remember everything later to think about it more. Does he play with other children? does he get into fights, hitting etc? if his verbal skills are behind he may be frustrated. Is what they're calling group time sitting in a circle time or making a craft time or doing a group activity time or are we talking about all three? If they can work with him on social skills it will mean extra work with his verbal skills which would be great so sounds like any help they give him would be ok. labels can be removed later as children grow and change. hope the meeting goes well!

I have taught young 3s in a preschool setting, and I think you should not worry too much. At this age a behavior specialist will just be able to find ways to lengthen his attention span and help him focus. If the school is meaning he can't sit and focus during, say, Circle time, then 15-20 minutes isn't really all that excessive. This is because the time is dynamic, with discussions and books and counting and calendar and whatnot. More than likely, it isn't a lecture. I suspect, though, that they mean he isn't connecting and engaging in the activities with the class, and that IS a skill you need for the school years. So my advice is to just relax and hear what they have to say. They want what is best for your child, same as you. Labels are usually not an issue in the pre-school years.

My son is three and I don't think he would be able to sit for that long concentrating!
Actually your son sounds quite intelligent,knowing all that he does.
My advise would be to listen to everything they say with an objective,intelligent ear.
Don't take everything they say as gospel.
Be an ADVOCATE for your son,if you don't agree with something they say then respond.
Trust your instincts and do what is best for your son.
Best of luck
B.

you are right.....three is way too young for 15-20 minutes of focused attention span. Some 5y.o.s don't even have that!

In their defense, because he is already under an IEP, they may quite well be seeing an issue here & are trying to be proactive in addressing it....in order to better prepare him for school. This may be a blessing in disguise.

If your son turned three in June, then I think he is doing fine. I would be encouraging him with his dropping word endings etc. I would not accept any attempt at labeling him, and if necessary find a preschool which has a little less structure. I think 15 min. is a little unreasonable at this young age.
Talk to him always, read to him daily, and encourage his drawing and naming of objects in your conversations. Do some cutting and pasting activities at home such as making an Alphabet book with pictures he has cut out.....if his behavior toward his classmates is good, then I think he is doing just fine.

I know adults who can't focus for 8 minutes!
He's young. He's fine. BUT, if they want to have a specialist come and check him out - let them.
LBC

Your son's IEP program gives him the flexibility of having other specialists work with him within his school day, so go for it. This is a really common concern for parents when their children are identified as needing Special Education- the "label". The reality is, we have to classify children so they can access the services. There is no "label" involved and your son is already identified.

I think what you are concerned about is a possible diagnosis, maybe you are worried about ADHD? This is not something the behavioral specialist can or will do. They will provide you with strategies to use at home and will work with the teacher to help your son increase his attention span and time-on-task. As he gets older, if these things don't remediate, your pediatrician may discuss a diagnosis with you, but at this age it's not appropriate.

Aw Hon,
That sounds kind of like my 3yo (soon to be 4). First thing is they might not label him, they might diagnose him, if you're not convinced you can always look @ a second opinion.
Second, I do think 15 to 2o mins is too much for my son, he has ADHD but that is one of the goals for his IEP. To be perfectly hones with you I don't know how they'll achieve it, but really hope they will.
The most important thing, and what you have to look forward to is that they will address those concerns, suggest therapy and other helpful advice. He is still 3, yeah, and he is young, but with this things, the younger, the better.
Because always the goal is for them to mainstream as soon as possible.
Good Luck!!

Wow!!! If thats the case I have a lot to worry about. My daughter will be 4 next month and is just now able to sit still for 15-20 mins. My daughter is very active and loves to be on the move so sitting is not something she does well. The teachers have complained to me about her not being able to sit so one suggested reading to her for 15-20 mins and making her sit with me while I read to her. I have always read to her but maybe just 1 or 2 books at a time. Now we read 3-4 depending on the length of the book. I must say this has helped. Just make sure it's something he really loves. With this being the first time in school and away from you I think he's doing very well. He is showing progress. Some kids learn faster than others. I hope they won't say anything to you that will discourage you. He seems like a normal 3 year old to me. Good luck.

Maybe YOU could go observe him and see if you think his behavior needs intervening. If that's not feasible, see if they'll videotape the day for you and you can watch it without risking his behavior changing because you are there. It can't hurt to have someone observe him, but take what they say with a grain of salt. If he does need some kind of intervention, earlier is better, but I agree with the other moms - you don't want him to receive some kind of unneccesary label.

He's 3. He's a boy, and that equals exploring. My 3y niece doesn't sit down and pay attention for 3 minutes let alone 8! If you sit down for one minute to catch your breath, she's already onto something else and causing trouble.

I would work with them to see what they say and if you are not comfortable with their answers, find a different place. There is a reason why there is more than one daycare/preschool . No one fits everyone.