Kindergarten
To hold back or not to hold back?
Pretty sure we’re going to hold back our 4.5 year old son with autism. I’ve always had it in my mind that if I hold him back a year, we’ll start him off on the right foot. An extra year where he can work on social skills with my interventionists versus being thrust into the school system (who knows how that will be but I don’t have a lot of faith). My son was born in Oct, so even if he didn’t have autism, I would still be strongly considering holding him back. He is doing fantastic in the new setup I have arranged at preschool, the interventionists are focusing on what I want and he’s actually making great progress with his peers.
Everyone seems to be telling me to put him in school - consultant, principal, school district liason, preschool teachers…. why? I don’t get it. Isn’t it better to send a child to school once they can make and maintain friendships? Once they are more comfortable in social situations? To help a child be more successful, shouldn’t we help to increase his self confidence?
Just want to help him all I can, get him as far ahead as I can, so that he’s not thrown to wolves. So that he can stay a float. Who knows what supports we will end up getting in the classroom. So far it seems they ‘might’ have a social group. *big ass eye roll*.
I don’t get them at all.