Does anyone know of any playgroups and daycares that are geared towards special needs children?

Question

I live in Middleburg, Florida and was wondering if anyone knew of any playgroups and daycares that are geared towards special needs children in Orange Park or Jacksonville. My son is 15 months old with Down's Syndrome. Any answers are greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

most kids with disorders have home visits by health care workers and heling groups...have you asked any of them??

have you asked at your pediatrian's office??

Answer 2

First of all, I second everything already said about Head Start.  I would also try visiting Florida's Early Childhood program at: http://www.cms-kids.com/Earlystepshome.h... and clicking on "contact us" to the left and asking your question again.  They should certainly be able to help you find these servcies.

Good luck to you!

Answer 3

Try local early intervention services . Call your local school district special education department if you don't know where to look. Birth to three services are usually free to special needs children! Go for all of the therapy services that are offered!

Early intervention is crucial for special needs kids! Best of Luck to you. Also, your child will be eligible for school at three years of age.

Answer 4

Are you hooked into your local early intervention program?  If you are, your service coordinator should have a lot of resources for you.  If not, contact your local school district and see if they can steer you towards the agency who provides early intervention where you live...it is often the school district, the county, the dept of human services or some other agency.  You could call your local parks and recreation department and ask them if they have an inclusion specialist to assist getting your son into some classes.  Also, my advice would be not to just look for groups for kids with special needs.  Children learn best from each other and your son may really benefit from being around typically developing peers.  It's great for all children to be around kids who are different and the earlier the better.  Of course, you may want to look for staff who have had some experience with children with special needs, but try to integrate him into any playgroups in your neighborhood etc that have all types of kids.

Answer 5

Yes, check with your local HEAD START Program. Head Start is mandated to take 10% children with disabilities and they pay for intervention, training etc at no cost to you!! They are licensed under your State and are annually checked by the federal government. Very good child development program, will save you allot of $$$$$ with their federal funds!!

Good Luck!!