Ready Program Success

In January of 2015, Wood County Hospital Rehab launched The Ready Program with just 4 students. It has since grown to 14 students and includes a summer program. The program is a developmentally appropriate preschool for children diagnosed with autism and is designed to encourage learning and prepare the student for a successful transition to kindergarten.

Highly trained teachers, facilitators and therapists, including intervention specialists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists are skilled in working with preschool age children with autism and helping them grow and best prepare for the transition to kindergarten.

The program consists of a blend of educational and medical services that focus on academic, social, emotional, cognitive, language, and motor development. The program model focuses on specific goal instruction and adapted to each child’s Individual Education Program (IEP).

“When our son was diagnosed with Autism, we were looking for a next step to take to get him the best intervention and therapy possible. The Ready Program has exceeded our expectations in every way. As a teacher myself, I have high expectations for my son’s education and have been thrilled with the progress he has made in just a few months. The teachers at the Ready Program are fun, friendly, and most importantly consistent. They understand the way a child’s brain works and how crucial clear communication is- not just between teacher and student, but between teachers and parents as well.” – Lindsay Cribbs

Warm water can be used to affect motor learning as well as sensory processing and modulation that can then foster academic growth, enhance social interactions and increase verbal skills. The program uses this aquatic therapy giving children a fun and soothing way to work toward their goals.

“In April of 2016, we received an autism and sensory processing disorder diagnosis for our 3 year old son, John. Even though we suspected that John was having some developmental issues, we were still in shock over the diagnosis and not knowing what the future would hold for John and for our family.

We have seen so much growth in John in the past year, both academically and socially. His speech is rapidly catching up to his peers, and he is able to identify shapes, colors and letters easily. He is trying new foods at snack time and at home using the techniques Brittany and Danielle with the Ready Program have taught us. We are also amazed at the progress he is making with fine motor skills, as he works with an Occupational Therapist in the classroom weekly.

The Ready Program has truly changed John’s life, and our family’s life for the better. An autism diagnosis is a scary thing to process, but with the Ready Program, we have learned how to turn fear of the unknown into success for the future.” – Paul and Dana Buonpane

In addition to the academic year programming, the Ready Program offers a 6 week summer program. The same learning techniques and therapies are used and focus on skills like improving picky eating, self-feeding, table manners and social interaction skills. In addition, there is an extensive aquatics therapy program.

For more information about the Ready Program or to schedule a tour of the preschool, please call (419) 354-3099.

Wood County Hospital is an Autism Scholarship Provider through the Ohio Department of Education. Payment for the Ready Program can be made through ODE or self-pay. For more information on how to apply for the Autism Scholarship, call 877-OHIOEDU or email autismscholarship@education.ohio.gov.