Shamaneh's Story: Kidango's Early Intervention and Inclusion Services for My Two Daughters Has Given Them Independence

My name is Shamaneh Donahue, I have my daughters Ty-Shyia and Sha-Nyia enrolled at Kidango Peixoto. I suspected my daughters could benefit from the inclusion services, maybe around the ages of two, just by observing the different things that the girls were doing. Once I found out about the program, I requested to see if I could get some support from the program.

The difference that I have noticed in both my girls is their independence. Just being able to go interact with the other children in the classroom and just having more of a vocal and more outspoken opinion. The changes were helping them go through their milestones and developmental steps in their age groups.

To know that my children are in an inclusive environment and not in a special day class is a big impact… they get the peer interactions and the different things that come with learning how to share, learning how to talk, and working your problems out. I think that is an important piece, that [my girls] are able to be in a center where those supports that they may receive at a third party, they’re able to receive it within Kidango.

Just to know that this program is available to all families and the impact, is just amazing.

The experience of working with the entire Kidango staff has been awesome. I have never felt so much support since the first day I stepped in here. It is just great to know that there is an organization that is listening to the parents and taking the parent’s concerns because that is an important piece for me; being able to advocate for my kids and expressing that with the staff. Just having a conversation with the staff and having them respond back to me and the way they respond to my daughters is very important to me because along with the family, the teachers, and the staff, if everyone is on the same page, the kid will be very successful and I really believe in that.  Just to know that this program is available to all families and the impact, is just amazing.