What is a SEIT | Imamother

amother

Wed, Sep 02 2020, 7:47 pm

my dc is being evaluated , what is a SEIT? what do they do, hiw do they help, how much time do they spend with the student? Thanks this is all new to me

mrs me

Wed, Sep 02 2020, 8:29 pm

Hi, SEIT stands for special education itinerant teacher. The job of the SEIT is to work with your child one on one. Most of the time they work with them in the classroom, and then take them out of the classroom for about a half hour to work on specific things. What will the SEIT work on with your child? It depends on what your child’s needs and goals are... for some children, they have a hard time following directions... In the classroom the seit will sit by their side to support them by breaking down the teacher’s directions, demonstrating how to do things etc... If your child has a hard time understanding the lessons, The seit might sit with your child by circle time and guide them throughout the lesson (quietly), and they will sometimes pre-teach or re-teach lessons to help the student grasp it... (that would be done outside the classroom) seits also help with social skills and language...

These are just a few examples of what seits help with but overall they are there to give your child the extra individualized attention in the classroom to make sure your child is reaching their academic and social goals.

The amount of time the seit spends with your child depends on how much time the board of Ed says your child is eligible for based on the evaluations. If your child gets 5 hours a week, then the seit will Spend one hour a day with your child.

Usually the hours per week are divided or 4-5 days

amother

Wed, Sep 02 2020, 9:06 pm

do SEITs help with social issues such as social anxiety, selective mutism, doing activities with the group.

do they only gelp with issues if it effects their learning or all issues? like some sensory stuff might not impact being able to learn

Do SEITs have special training to know how to help kids or are they like an wxtra teacher focused on what your child needs

mrs me

Wed, Sep 02 2020, 10:14 pm

They do help with playing with a group and socializing but I don’t think they are specifically trained to deal with anxieties. Anxiety is usually helped with counseling/ play therapy etc... which a social worker / psychologist/ play therapist could help target..

They help with cognitive and social skills in the classroom.

Sensory issues are usually targeted by occupational therapy.

And yes a SEIT needs a degree in early childhood education and special education.. not just an extra teacher but someone specifically trained

seeker

Thu, Sep 03 2020, 1:16 am

I think mrs me explained it quite well.

SEITs generally have more training in specific issues than regular teachers do. They are certified in early childhood special education, whereas most classroom teachers are not. A SEIT is NOT the same as a shadow; SEITs provide specific targeted interventions.

They are only going to provide SEIT if the child has either academic deficits or deficits that interfere with participation in the educational program - which includes the social elements, especially in preschool. So if a child has sensory needs that prevent them from participating normally, then the SEIT can definitely provide support with that. If sensory needs are not affecting their school functioning, then that's not going to be addressed by the education team at all.

I have had more than one SEIT case where the main or possibly the only issue was selective mutism. Certainly these children need help integrating within the classroom. The entire care team in both these cases agreed that SEIT was more helpful to the child than separate play therapy. We are talking about very young children who aren't going to be able to articulate in therapy what's going on for them, and therapy is only happening maybe once a week in a different environment (where the classroom is the place where the selective mutism occurs.) On the other hand the SEIT is integrating into the classroom (where the issue actually is) for an hour a day (consistency plus quantity) with their full focus on this child (classroom teacher can't provide this and child could become anxious not knowing how to get their needs met), it's a much better recipe for reducing the anxiety that underlies selective mutism.

For a child getting other therapies, the SEIT is often a bridge to the classroom and helps coordinate with the speech/counselor/OT/PT and classroom teacher to help everyone stay on the same page. The SEIT helps the child continue the progress they're making in therapy after they get back to the classroom. Especially when my kids are getting speech therapy or OT I'm working very closely with the therapists to make sure we're supporting each other's goals throughout the day.

amother

Thu, Sep 03 2020, 1:47 am

Wow, thanks for going into such detail, very helpful.

Ruchel

Thu, Sep 03 2020, 5:18 am

It is so interesting to me. My mother applied years ago. They didn't ask for a degree (!) just experience teaching (iirc?) and the hours and pay were nuts

Amelia Bedelia

Thu, Sep 03 2020, 6:05 am

Ruchel wrote:

It is so interesting to me. My mother applied years ago. They didn't ask for a degree (!) just experience teaching (iirc?) and the hours and pay were nuts

That is not SEIT.

I don't believe SEIT is available in Europe. It's mostly the NYC area.

Ruchel

Thu, Sep 03 2020, 8:52 am

someone inside the school helping you

amother

cornflower

Mon, Sep 07 2020, 2:48 pm

Hi, this is OP from another forum asking about SEIT services upstate.
My child is receiving SEIT in the city and being evaluated for Autism.
I know there is no SEIT services upstate.
Will DC qualify for any kind of help in school with an ASD diagnosis?
What kind of help is available upstate?