Developmental Preschool

Unique to our service model for children 6 weeks to 6 years is our developmental preschool. Our developmental preschool provides a natural classroom environment for children integrated with typical peers, but with the added benefit of skilled teachers, therapists, behavior specialists, and/or registered nurses available to work within and alongside the classroom structure.

We believe in a multi-dimensional approach individually designed for each child. Based on the results of a comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessment, our team of professionals creates an individualized plan of care blending different and appropriate evidence based interventions. This plan is continually assessed and modified as needed in order to ensure each child continues to progress to his/her maximum potential.

Pediatrics Plus provides different varieties of sensory environments for learning. Our centers are equipped with state of the art playgrounds with wheelchair accessible surfaces and equipment to promote motor development, social emotional development, and sensory processing; sensory-motor gyms; early literacy libraries; and functional play and natural environment simulated spaces to enhance carry over into home.

Our Services

For children who qualify for our developmental preschool, the following services are available:

• Cognitive, Motor, and Social Emotional Developmental services provided in a preschool classroom environment

• Physical, Occupational and/or Speech Evaluations and Therapy Services

• Cognitive and Adaptive Behavior Evaluations with corresponding interventions

• Nursing and Medical Services

• Breakfast, lunch and snack following USDA guidelines 

• Care coordination for families with medical specialists and DHS
• Very low teachers to student ratios

Our Classrooms

At Pediatrics Plus, our developmental programs and curriculums are evidence based. We focus our curriculum, classroom management, and creative learning on three main components:

Sequential Skill Development: Given our unique developmental preschool structure, Pediatrics Plus has been working over the past 2 years to develop a curriculum that is appropriate for a wide range of developmental levels within a single classroom. By providing a structured and specially designed curriculum with developmental skills facilitated in appropriate sequential order, we have seen incredible results.

Children at any developmental level are able to scaffold skills, show fewer “scattered skills” and experience a more enjoyable and successful learning experience. The curriculum provides a progression of activities to promote successful participation in group and individual settings. The goal is to support the developing skills of the child in a fun environment. This will ensure that all the students will enjoy learning and being socially involved in the classroom environment.

Social Emotional Development: 
We take an individualized approach to social-emotional development using “engagement.” Our expectation of engagement is that each teacher continually assesses the child during play and other activities and steps in and out as needed to allow more independence & problem solving, encourage the child further in his/her problem solving, or provide appropriate play modeling. We are able to achieve this level of engagement by providing specialized training and very low teacher to child ratios.  

Links to research: www.developingchild.harvard.edu

We implement Second Step Curriculum in each classroom to ensure that our staff understands the most appropriate ways to address social-emotional development.   The Second Step Early Learning Program promotes success in the early learning classroom, school readiness, and social and life success by developing a child's self-regulation skills, social-emotional competencies, empathy, friendship skills, and problem solving.

Brain Development: 
By engaging children in intentional multi-sensory experiences, which simultaneously stimulate specific brain centers (i.e. visual, auditory, tactile, and coordination), we can help build a more dynamically developed brain. This type of multi-sensory, hands-on learning builds the strong foundation and brain architecture necessary upon which all future cognitive, social-emotional, and developmental skills can be built.  Only with a strong foundation, can children truly achieve their maximum potential for building skills & appropriate relationships throughout life.

Links to research: www.developingchild.harvard.edu

Our Developmental Classrooms: 


• Integrate children with & without special needs 

• Offer a very low teacher to child ratio 


• Use developmentally appropriate and evidence based practices 

• Incorporate Handwriting Without Tears, a multi-sensory approach to handwriting that makes writing more fun and easier to learn. 

• Follow an individualized treatment plan based on the specific needs of each child

Nutrition

Pediatrics Plus recognizes the positive link between nutrition and school performance. Therefore, we have made a conscious effort to ensure that all meals served to our students have the highest nutritional value. We prepare and cook our meals and snacks on site using whole ingredients, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, and strictly limit processed foods. Because we cook daily on site, we are able to accommodate most food allergies and special diets.

Medical & Nursing

Pediatrics Plus provides a Registered Nurse on staff during program hours. Nursing services include routine medications, tube feedings, catheterizations, diabetes management, etc. We also work closely with each child’s primary care physician to ensure we are all working on a plan in the best interest of each child.