+ Does my child need a diagnosis to attend Let it Shine?

No diagnosis is required to attend Let it Shine.

+ Why doesn't Let it Shine offer part-time care?

Coming 2-3 days per week would interrupt the curriculum as well as disrupt the child’s routine. Having a daily routine can improve a child’s ability to transition between tasks and participate throughout the day.

+ What is the difference between Let it Shine's curriculum and ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy?

ABA focuses on reinforcing preferred behaviors through rewards and extinguishing non-preferred behaviors. ABA therapy is often delivered in a one on one environment. When implemented as intended, ABA can be very effective in conjunction with other therapies. Unfortunately, the demand for ABA has created many practices to evolve that claim to implement ABA, but do not meet the standards of ABA intervention. The Let it Shine curriculum promotes preferred behaviors through positive reinforcement. We believe that a child’s non-preferred behavior is often due to a lack of ability to communicate and self-regulate. The Let it Shine curriculum focuses on language development, sensory processing for self-regulation, and self-awareness to allow the child to more appropriately respond to daily challenges.

+ What is the difference between Let it Shine's curriculum and PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities)?

PPCD is a public school program for children with disabilities. The program serves children ages 3-5 and is offered 3 hours a day 5 days a week. PPCD often requires a child to have a diagnosis in order to receive services. The quality of the PPCD program depends on the children in the program. If there are children with more severe symptoms, they often receive greater attention from the teacher, thus the child who is not as severe often does not receive as much assistance. Therapies are also offered for children in the public school. These therapies are often implemented on a consultation basis, for instance, children who receive occupational therapy within the school system typically receive 30 minutes of consultative care 1 time per month. The Let it Shine program is a full day, 5 days per week program for children age 3-6. A child does not have to have a diagnosis to be enrolled in the program. Let it Shine is designed for those children that fall through the cracks, the ones that do not function well in typical daycares and are typically not severe enough for PPCD. Each child has an individualized plan based on the child’s development. Due to the small teacher to student ratio, children are able to receive the attention needed to develop and gain new skills.

+ What is the difference between typical preschools and the Let it Shine program?

Not all preschools have a curriculum and are often more similar to child-care centers. They may have teachers with educational degrees or early childhood certifications, however, most do not as it is not a requirement. The ratios in typical preschools are high, with 1 teacher taking care of 15 plus children at a time. Let it Shine has a research based curriculum developed by a speech and occupational therapist based on the development of a child. All the teachers and teacher’s assistants have specialized training to facilitate language development and self-regulation. All the teachers are required to have experience and certifications in early childhood development. The ratios at Let it Shine are much smaller with 1 teacher/teacher’s assistant taking care of 5-7 children at most at any given time.

+ What is sensory processing/integration disorder?

Sensory processing disorder is when the brain has difficulty taking in information through the senses and appropriately responding to that information. It can affect one sense or multiple senses. People can be oversensitive or under sensitive to sensory input. For instance, people who are oversensitive to sensory input may not tolerate wet textures on their skin or avoid crowds due to an increase in noise. People who are under sensitive to sensory input may fall and hurt themselves, but not feel pain even if they are bleeding. People with sensory processing disorder are often uncoordinated or considered clumsy due to a lack of body awareness. Sensory processing disorder can influence all areas of one’s life, limiting the ability to socialize and participate in daily tasks. Sensory processing disorder is not a recognized diagnosis but is very real. Since it is not recognized, insurance will often deny services to children with sensory processing disorder, leaving families unable to find help for their child.

+ What is a sensory diet?

When the word diet is used, it typically refers to food. Like typical diets, a sensory diet is implemented daily to achieve a goal. The sensory diet is not based on what you solely consume through your mouth, but refers to what your body takes in daily through all the senses. Sensory diets are individualized plans that incorporate daily activities that help to promote self-regulation. For example, one’s sensory diet might include deep pressure squeezes in a bean bag three times a day to promote body awareness. The deep pressure lets one know where the body is in space thus improving coordination for functional tasks. The ultimate goal of sensory diets is function.

+ Does my child need to be potty trained?

No, your child does not need to be potty trained. Lack of a child’s ability to potty train can be rooted in sensory processing difficulties. The Let it Shine program helps regulate a child’s sensory system, increasing a child’s body awareness which can promote potty training.

+ Will placing my child in a non-traditional preschool hinder my childs ability to transition into public schools?

No, play/structured play as well as development of social-emotional skills helps better prepare a child for success in future grades.

+ Would Let it Shine replace my child's individual therapy services?

No, we recommend continuing individual therapy services. Let it Shine supports individual therapies by carrying over techniques in therapy and incorporating them daily.

+ My child is not ready for Kindergarten. Would Let it Shine be appropriate for him/her?

Yes, we serve children through age 6. For those children who are not ready for Kindergarten, Let it Shine provides an environment where a child can gain the underlying skills necessary to succeed in Kindergarten.