Special needs children and Preschool Power!

"My child is autistic and this series is a godsend. I cannot provide the experience for him of doing things over and over again like I’m supposed to do. So he has learned them from Preschool Power!"- Gail Maryes, Bayside, NY

Special needs children weren’t what we had in mind when we first created the Preschool Power! video series. So at first we were surprised when we began receiving letters from parents. As word-of-mouth spread, the award-winning series became an underground classic.

"I cannot begin to tell you how much my autistic child has learned from our four programs! Please send the other 4-set!" - Shawn Lathrap, Spring Valley, IL

Special needs children, particularly autistic ones, were finding true friends in our young teachers. Now sales to special needs parents make up a sizeable percentage of our orders.

"The Preschool Power! video series is a great tool for developing social imitation skills for children with autistic spectrum disorders. Watching other children on video can be easier and more interesting for the young child with autism who does not yet show much interest in joining in live action with peers.

The use of music, fast cuts, and the right amount of repetition is great for the pre-verbal child who is showing a more visual than verbal style of information-processing.

The Preschool Power! videos emphasize development of practical everyday self-help skills which we sometimes forget is more rewarding and interesting to young children with disabilities than more difficult and abstract pre-academic tasks. I'd love to see more!"

Bryna Siegel, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Autism Clinic,
Children's Center at Langley Porter
University of California, San Francisco

It makes sense, actually. The series is heavily grounded in the Montessori Method. Maria Montessori developed her educational philosophy working with poorest children in the slums of Rome, children that had all been written off as beyond help. Her success with them was nothing short of astounding.

"My daughter Kate is 2 ½ and was recently diagnosed with autism. She enjoys imitating the children and all five programs have taught Kate without being too difficult in content and speech. I don’t feel guilty putting on a tv show which has so much to offer." - Kate and Mary McCue, Newton Square, PA

Carefully-thought-out lessons that break physical tasks down step by step are a key element. Allowing children to work when they wished and at their own pace was another. And letting younger children learn from watching slightly older ones was also a key to the success of the method.

"The Preschool Power! programs allow the child to learn skills without the presence of Mom or Dad. And then to have the delightful experience of demonstrating those skills to Mom and Dad when they come home!

Children love to do this. And it adds to the mastery experience when the child can surprise a delighted parent with a newfound skill. The more success experiences like these, the more mastery experience that a youngster can have early on in the developmental game, the further ahead such a youngster is going to be in terms of his sense of I can do it; I can accomplish; I can achieve!"

Dr. Barbara J. Ingersoll, Ph.D., Author of ADD and Learning and Your Hyperactive Child: A Parent’s Guide to Coping with ADD

The programs work on two levels.

But there is also a very major focus on well-thought-out demonstrations of important physical skills. Unscrewing a cap, pouring, buttoning a button, putting on a sock and so many more are all shown repeatedly and always in slow, close-up detail. And all are demonstrated by children aged 2 to 7. Perfect for your special needs child to watch the repetitions again and again until she gets it just right.

"You know autistic children like to watch people, and he’s beginning to imitate some of the things on the programs. He laughs a lot at the kids. It’s a joy to me and to him!" - Gina Hookey, Princeton, NJ

The series is a great parenting resource for you. You’ll see precisely how to set up all the activities and lessons presented on the tv screen for your child to try at home. In most cases, you’ll already have everything you need sitting around the house. Just watch the segment a couple of times and you’ll know exactly what’s needed and how to set things up. Way better than any book. In fact, it’s pretty much of a no-brainer.

"I have a four-year-old autistic dhild who has really made progress using Preschool Power! 1-4. Please send the second four!"
- Lori Douville, Rosebud SD

Don’t forget, you have nothing to lose thanks to our liberal return policy. If your child doesn’t love these programs, send them back and we’ll refund your money. No questions asked.

Want to read in more detail about the types of activities and demonstrations you and your child will discover on Preschool Power! videos? Go to our Demonstrations Index.

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