Preschool for kids with learning difficulties

My son had therapy session today where the therapist recommended a kindergarten run by a friend of hers for kids with special needs.

One of the therapist's clients, a boy with mild autism attends the place without a shadow aide. Their teachers have special needs experience and very small teacher student ratio. From their website, there are therapists there too.

I would like to check out the place because I'm very concerned about my son's behaviour in school. I dont want it to get worse. He might be acting up because I'm there. But I'm not comfortable enough to leave him alone there as I see that the teacher has too much too handle with 2-4 other kids that need special attention. Today, the out of the box girl was mostly in her own world exploring tiny stuff on the floor.

I'm not able to help him to be independent fast enough to release me from being his shadow aide. So I dont think the school would be comfortable in allowing him to be without a shadow aide.

I think The Learning Connection place would be costly (given their specialised teachers and small ratio) but if they can help my son learn social skills and prepare him for primary school, then it might be worth it. I certainly am struggling to help him. But it's a risk and the monetary amount involved is not small (we've also paid for 6mths at existing kindergarten, which we'll not get a single sen of refund)

Their website is http://www.learningconnection.com.my/

This is an article I found on the place, that was published in The Star back in 2006.
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PARENTS with children who have learning problems will be interested to note that The Learning Connection has opened its doors at Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

The Learning Connection, headed by learning specialist Sara Brenneman, hopes to help children who have problems learning (including dyslexia) or even those who have attention-deficit problems.

Brenneman, who launched The Learning Connection in August last year (ie, in 2005), says she only started enrolling children at her centre in September.

She specialised in special education when she was teaching in the United States.

When she moved to Malaysia, Brenneman taught at the Mont Kiara Interna-tional School, but after some time she felt it was time to resume her work with children who had learning disabilities.

Brenneman believes there is a need for a centre like hers as schools usually lack the resources to address the requirements of children with special needs.

Right now The Learning Connection has just a few kids and part-time teachers. Brenneman hopes that the number of students will increase over time.

Although Brenneman says she would rather work with preschool children, she does accept and help children up to the age of 10.

The rates vary depending on the case and how much individual work is needed.

Now, The Learning Connection offers a preschool programme for children aged between four and six years.

There is also tuition for students with learning disabilities where one-hour individualised sessions are planned according to the student’s needs.

The Learning Connection is also working with Hil’s Sdn Bhd to offer a programme for children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD).

While Brenneman admits certain medicines have been known to help children with ADD and ADHD, she pefers to help these children by helping them to better focus their attention and remain calm when studying.