As children grow out of their toddler phase, they get more opportunities to interact with peers. They need to develop complex social skills around preschool age to be successful in kindergarten and beyond. Sharing, taking turns and communicating are all important skills for this age group. Individuals with complex conditions may have unique life experiences and skill sets, benefiting from early interventions such as speech therapy to support their development.
Traditional preschools don’t usually provide the one-on-one support that many kids need. All children can benefit from the supportive environment of a therapeutic preschool. In this blog post, we’ll talk about six ways a therapeutic preschool may help children develop social skills.
6 ways a therapeutic preschool may help children develop social skills
Classrooms at therapeutic preschools are designed to provide a more nurturing and supportive environment compared to traditional preschools. Early interventions are available for children who need them. All children benefit from a higher ratio of care providers and more enriching experiences.
At the Mary Shaw Branton Therapeutic Preschool, we provide plenty of guidance and encouragement. However, our students regularly step up to help each other. They enact our core values of empathy and belonging every day. We love watching them develop friendships and find new ways to work together. Our students are always surprising us. Parents also feel better knowing that their child will start kindergarten with social and emotional regulation skills.
Here are six ways a therapeutic preschool may help children with their social skills:
- Focus on empathy and belonging — Daily activities revolve around our core values of empathy and belonging. Children learn that they are valued members of their community. They also learn to be considerate of other people’s feelings. We maintain a culture of acceptance by reducing judgment and appreciating differences. In our classrooms, kindness is always rewarded.
- Interacting with a diverse peer group — At a therapeutic preschool, children learn to expect differences and accept people for who they are. They learn that everyone has unique strengths and grows at their own pace. Each student has a responsibility to respect others while learning to work together. They also receive more support with managing their own emotions and behavior.
- More qualified professionals to facilitate — There are more staff present to step in when students need support. They also have experience working with children who have complex conditions. We take a trauma-informed approach and encourage children to have age-appropriate interactions.
- Individualized care — Many children in our program receive therapies during the school day. We recognize that social and emotional development are just as important as physical and intellectual. Our teachers and staff work with parents and care teams to create personalized care plans for children who need support in these areas.
- Speech and language therapy — Certain medical and developmental conditions can cause difficulties with speech and language. Children may need help mastering age-appropriate skills or adapting to disabilities. We have speech therapists on staff to provide therapy during the day for students who need it.
- Assistive technology — We use different types of assistive technology to help children with different skills. This includes speech and communication. Children learn to use augmentative and alternative communication devices with their speech therapist. Augmentative devices use different elements, like pictures, to add to a child’s communication abilities. Alternative communication devices introduce different modes of communication, such as sign language.
The Mary Shaw Branton Therapeutic Preschool teaches social skills and much more
As children adapt to school life, they experience both exciting new opportunities and challenges along the way. Every child has unique strengths and challenges. The ups and downs of preschool can bring out a wide range of emotions, too. The same approach to learning and socializing isn’t always best for each individual. Therapeutic preschools offer a more enriching introduction to the classroom for all children.
Each young person can benefit from a culture of inclusion and belonging in the classroom. At the Mary Shaw Branton Therapeutic Preschool, each student forms personal connections with supportive adults. They also learn empathy and kindness. These aren’t just ideas, but skills and behaviors that we model and encourage every day.
Children who need early interventions are in good hands at Ability KC. We’re a designated Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF). We also have accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and are accredited with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Could a therapeutic preschool help your child learn the social skills they’ll need to succeed in school and for the rest of their life? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
Want to help support the work we’re doing at Ability KC? Check out our Groundhog Run event page to learn about this awesome event and how it supports what we do.