Mission Statement
Our goal is to provide a preschool program rich in functional communication, exploration, and participation with peers in a creative therapy-guided environment.
Monkey U is a preschool prep program- created for our littlest learners.
By offering a safe, nurturing, and inclusive learning experience, we hope to prepare our students for participation in a more traditional preschool setting. Monkey U students are typically 3-5 years of age and have varied diagnoses, skills, and abilities. By keeping our class size small and our teacher-to-student ratio low, we can accommodate each child’s unique needs. Each Monkey U class is led by 2 licensed/certified therapists, and enrollment is limited to 4-6 students per class. Sessions are offered by semester, and students may attend 1 or 2 classes per week.
Our themed lesson plans are creative and filled with high interest activities that encourage engagement. Activities can be easily modified to meet each student’s needs.
While our sessions are action packed- we are mindful of our students’ needs to alternate from calm focused learning to active play. We maintain a consistent schedule and introduce transitions with lead-ins, rhymes, and songs. We create routines that foster familiarity and provide a sense of safety. We utilize tools and strategies to help each student meet their highest potential. Those may include AAC devices, picture schedules, and choice boards. Because our goal is to see every student thrive, we go the extra mile to support their growth.
Every lesson touches a broad range of skill areas, including:
Monkey U is for preschool aged students who have had limited or unsuccessful experience with peers. While not all our students have a medical or developmental diagnosis, most of them demonstrate some type of special learning need. Those needs may include delayed play skills, speech and language difficulties, behavioral challenges, difficulty engaging with other children, and resistance to structured activity. Each student fits into our group. Each student takes a key role. Our goal is to nurture what is special and unique about each child and shape them into a more confident and successful friend and learner.
Each Monkey U Class is taught by 2 licensed/certified therapists. In addition to being highly skilled therapists, our team is uniquely patient, flexible, creative, and loving. Our teachers have chosen to be a part of this special program because of their love for early speech, language, play and social development.
Patients must receive pre-approval to be a part of the program, and full payment is required to reserve a spot. Contact Nikki Rustad for more details and to see if this program is right for your child!
