SMALL WONDER PRE-SCHOOL INC

As a New York State Education Department established preschool for children with special needs, we seek to accomplish continuity of therapeutic and educational services for the students we serve. In the current, 2020, landscape of educational uncertainty, we prepare for the next wave of providing mandated educational programs and services. We seek to accomplish alternative means to preschool engagement for children with disabilities through remote access to learning. In addition, we seek to continue relationships with colleges in support of our educational and therapeutic programs for staff and interns.

Drawing on thirty-one years of experience working with preschool students with disabilities, providing support to their families and to the program staff who provide educational support, we have refined three core pillars to our approach that best serve this vulnerable population ensuring maximum positive impact:

State / Local Education and Community School District Engagement
Maintaining strong ties with local and state governments and educational associations, provides us with supports and information keeping our programs strong. We accept referrals to our program as well as support in achieving our educational goals with these partners.

Support Teaching and Therapeutic Staff
When direct line staff are supported in achieving personal educational goals, they add tremendous value to the program as a whole. Offering opportunities for continuing education, achieving certification and licenses, through grants, creates an atmosphere where staff bring their best selves to the learning and teaching environment.

Curriculum and Educational Support
Utilizing the latest in preschool curricular support for active learners, we will reach out to those partners for support in offering online and remote learning opportunities to our preschool students with disabilities. Families are at odds with new technology and in need of support. At times, education and language barriers inhibit families from taking advantage of opportunities presented to them. New technology training and support will be expected of all staff engaging with remote technology as a teaching tool.

Our administrative staff who supervise educational programs are experienced and seasoned professionals in their respective fields. The team includes a school psychologist, social worker, curriculum specialist, program coordinator, clinical coordinator, finance manager and executive director with expertise in early childhood special education, program administration and supervision, fiscal and program audits and therapeutic interventions.

The staff are capable individuals who have maintained employment with us for an average of eighteen years. We represent a diverse group of educators who fully support culturally responsive teaching practices.

Having active memberships in professional associations, advocacy groups as well as business associations, creates a space for unfettered knowledge that stretches the imagination as well as lend support to meet our goals.

The work is cyclical and progress is steady. In the area of community and government engagement, we have worked closely with our constituents to provide for understanding and a new way to conduct program operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. These organizations have been pivotal to our operational function.

By way of our second pillar of Support for Teaching and Therapeutic Staff, we have provided educational opportunities for four teachers to move towards full certification. One teacher has passed the mark and will be fully certified by June 2020. These efforts are continuing with the other three teachers. Remote learning and teletherapy training has been a challenge and staff has risen to the task. They provide services to students remotely and via teletherapy. More work is needed in this area as families have challenges with the technology and require multiple means of support within their daily lives.

We will continue to take our cues from our governing partners as well as provide essential educational services to preschool students with disabilities. We are living in unprecedented times and best practices are changing due to the uncertainty of preschool education and special education moving forward. We will continue to learn new technologies and better ways to provide this service to the most vulnerable of populations.