Spurwink Therapeutic Preschool Program

Spurwink offers three Therapeutic Preschool classrooms in Saco. This center-based program serves children ages 3 - 5. Two of the classrooms serve children with developmental delays and autism/PDD. The other serves children with behavioral challenges.

The Therapeutic Preschool provides a safe, nurturing and dynamic environment in which teaching and social experiences are offered throughout the day in both naturalistic and structured settings. The program offers a balanced, whole-child approach and works to establish a therapeutic relationship with each child and family.

The classroom daily schedule is designed to provide a balance of activities that include quiet/active, individual/small group/large group, child-directed/teacher-directed, large muscle/small muscle, and indoor/outdoor learning activities. Emotional health, communication, and skill building are emphasized throughout every child’s programming. An Individualized Service Plan (ISP) is developed for each child, focusing on specific developmental and skill-based goals and objectives. While the Preschool primarily provides center-based services, parents and families may also receive services in the home.

Preschool for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Preschool serves children with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) with a 1:1 child-staff ratio. A multidisciplinary team, including Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech/Language Therapy (SLP), blends social communication, applied behavioral analysis, and sensory modulation approaches, tailored to each child’s needs. Classroom staff implement SLP and OT interventions as prescribed by the consulting/treating therapists. Areas of programming include developing communication, socialization, and pre-academic skills, with consideration of the sensory, medical, and other issues often associated with Autism/PDD. Programming emphasizes teaching skills that are most essential for independent functioning in current and future environments.

Preschool for Children with Behavioral/Emotional Needs

The Preschool serves children with difficult behavioral and/or emotional needs. Individualized behavior management plans based on proactive, positive reinforcement models are developed to meet the individual needs of each child. Other behavior management methods used in the classroom include non-verbal cues, anticipatory guidance and redirection. Programming focuses on socialization with peers, self-regulation, responding to adults, and functional skills. A licensed clinician works with staff and supports families to increase home-school collaboration and ensure sharing and carry-over of successful strategies in both environments. Parents are always encouraged to observe their child in the classroom setting and home/school notebooks are used as daily communication between the parents and staff to provide an immediate source of information about each day’s successes and concerns.

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