If you have a child that is under traditional school age but not talking yet -- or who talks at a lower acceleration of learning than their peers -- then you may want to consider a preschool to help them grow. There are many reasons why your child may not be talking, from muscular issues with their mouth to apraxia or another learning disability, and the sooner you address the problem, the better they can learn to grow and reach the same level of the children around them. Here are things you should look for in a preschool program for your verbally challenged child.

Individualized testing

Seek a school in your area who does individual testing on your child prior to entering them into classes. The reason for testing is to see exactly what your child needs help with. The tests can also detect behavioral issues, such as sensory issues or low attention span. These tests are performed by asking parents questions about their child (such as the words a child can say or if/how they attempt new words) and also put children through fun active learning sets to see where their current skills are. Once your child has been tested, they can be given a personal lesson plan for growth.

Transportation

A preschool program that can pick your child up and drop them off at the end of the day can be a benefit to you. These special buses are equipped with seat belts and aides to watch and maintain children while they are going to and from school. Since your child may be placed in a preschool program for several hours a day most days of the week, getting into a facility that offers transport is ideal to allow you to stay on track with your regular busy schedule.

Potty training/age limits

Many preschool programs only accept children once they have reached a certain age and are potty trained. Learning-based programs designed around children with specific language needs often lift this barrier and include potty training as part of their program. Your child will likely still have to be a certain age (in most cases, 3 years or over) before they can be tested and entered into the preschool program, but they will not be restricted due to how well they can use the restroom on their own. It's important that you sign your child up for testing as soon as they hit the age requirement so you can get them into a program sooner.