Children can be the best teachers

My son, Colm, was showing signs of autism and would later be officially diagnosed. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that’s marked by impaired verbal and social communication, and rigid, restrictive and repetitive behaviours, among other hallmarks.

It was difficult to find Colm appropriate supports so he could thrive. I was driving around Montreal three hours a day to get him individual therapies and some integrated socialization in a playbased setting. It was stressful for both of us, and we were struggling.

I knew that there had to be a better way.

Colm needed individual coaching to acquire basic social skills and behavioural supports. But I also knew he needed opportunities to practise those skills and learn from typically developing peers. I decided that if I couldn’t find what Colm needed, I would build it.

So with lots of support from family and friends, I took over an existing co-operative preschool in west Montreal called the Little Red Playhouse. I developed a new type of preschool offering with enriched programming for all children alongside specialized behavioural therapy for children with autism.

It’s been a success. For nine years, the Little Red Playhouse has offered a 50-50 split between autistic and neurotypical preschoolers because we’ve found that all the children thrive in this environment.

The autistic children benefit from the school’s early intervention strategies and early group socialization that’s essential for improving their future. Meanwhile, the neurotypical children benefit from the school’s low staffto-student ratios, extra compassion, scheduled downtime and enriched programming. By preschool graduation, all the children are kindergarten-ready.

Integration works. Look at the evidence.

A meta-analysis of 45 distinct studies showed that meaningful peer interactions among autistic and neurotypical children results in significant and lasting intellectual and social benefits for kids with autism, while benefiting typical kids as well. Moreover, these interactions were found to be more effective in natural play settings versus clinical settings.

Parents in Montreal also understand. To meet demand, we’re growing. By 2019, the preschool will have a second 5,000-squarefoot space within an autonomous retirement home where children and seniors can interact — another plus for community building.

Suddenly, my Little Red Playhouse is not so little.