Ready for School: Special needs require special care

Years before they start kindergarten, children at Harbour Pointe Montessori School are learning one of life's most important lessons: acceptance.

"It's so great, because at this age they don't see any difference in each other, they only see their friends," said Courtney Holland, Program Supervisor For Harbour Pointe's Early Learning Center.

It's a preschool for typically-developing children and special needs students like Ethan.

"I had him three weeks early, he was induced. He actually was almost like comatose when he came out," said mom Crystal Floyd.

Ethan recovered, but as he developed, new problems emerged. He needed constant movement, and didn't communicate well.

Doctors eventually diagnosed him with a sensory disorder and autism.

"The eye contact was really, really limited, the motor skills were limited, he needed help with pretty much everything," said Floyd.

Ethan's mom enrolled him at Harbour Pointe, where four teachers oversee a class of 10 students.

Two spots are reserved for children with special needs, and students can enroll when they're as young as 18 months old.

"Early intervention has been found to be really, really effective for kids with disabilities, and many, many children who enter, the earlier the better because the brain pathways are still being created," said Holland. "Once they've been kind of cemented, it's a lot harder to change it."

The teachers use proven tools like pictures and sign language, even during snack time.

They're helping non-verbal children find words and teaching typical learners how to socialize.

Before long, all the children are making gains. The typical learners model behavior for the special needs students.

"They develop that sense of empathy and understanding and really kind of getting that concept of, 'okay this person is different than me, but that's okay,'" said Holland.

And the special needs students undergo swift and often astounding changes. After just a few months at Harbour Pointe, Ethan is a new boy.

"He's speaking in sentences, he can count to 30, he can put his own shoes off and on," said Floyd. "He learned to jump for the first time the other day, so it's really exciting."

You'd be hard-pressed to tell him apart from any other kid in class. And by the time students like Ethan reach kindergarten, many aren't considered "special needs" any more.

"To see them, and to see it make such a difference in their life, is what I love about it," said Holland.

Seattle playground serves kids with special needs

At the Seattle Children's PlayGarden, kids can spin and dig and paint to their hearts' content. And that's the idea.

It's a playground all children would love, especially children with special needs.

"It's really a phenomenal experience to be down here on summer camps or play dates and watch children play together," said Liz Bullard.

Bullard helped create this place six years ago, after her work with special needs children made her realize how crucial it is for kids of all ages and abilities to play together.

"It's important for children with special needs to play with typically developing children because they learn from them. And because that's the world we live in. And it's important for the children who are typically developing to play with children with special needs because it teaches them to develop tolerance and compassion," she said.

Pam Klein-Farrow and her daughter Samantha have been coming here for years. She credits the park, and especially its staff, with helping develop Samantha's social skills.

"It just kind of comes naturally to them, that they'll step in and give them that little scoot they need to get the kids interacting and step back when they don't need to be there, so I think that's something I've seen the most," said Klein-Farrow.

All children play, but children with disabilities often play differently. They may not be able to climb on typical playground equipment or have the communication skills to interact well with other kids.

This place addresses all those issues, with easy-to-use equipment and specially trained staff to help supervise.

And it continues to grow. They're in the middle of adding another section that includes an indoor play area with bathrooms and they will keep going with their mission to let every child play.