GO I N
Meeting The Challenge
Preschool embraces kids who require
more than a traditional setting.
Dr. Spivak, Dr. Blieden and Dr. Dubin
F
riends and supporters of
Walnut Lake Preschool
gathered at an informational
fundraiser to hear Dr. Nick Dubin,
an expert on Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASD).
Walnut Lake Preschool (WLP) is the
only facility of its kind in Southeast
Michigan. It is designed for preschool-
ers, age 3-5, who are not thriving in
a traditional preschool or daycare
setting. Children challenged by fam-
ily situations, learning disabilities or
environmental factors are given an
individualized program that includes
behavioral and emotional intervention
services usually unavailable until first
grade.
Dubin understands what it's like to
be a "different" child. As a youngster,
he felt disconnected and was bullied
for his social awkwardness. It wasn't
until he was 27 that he was correctly
diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome,
an ASD characterized by difficulties
with social interaction and restricted
or repetitive patterns of behavior. His
personal experiences fueled his desire
to become an ASD advocate. He has
authored three books on living with
ASD: Asperger Syndrome and Anxiety,
Asperger Syndrome and Bullying and
Asperger Syndrome and Employment.
"The program at Walnut Lake
Preschool would have been tremen-
dously beneficial for me as a pre-
school-aged child who was nonverbal
and had many learning issues," said
Dubin. "Individuals with autism and
other differences have very specific
needs during the first few years of life
and Walnut Lake Preschool is more
than equipped to handle those needs."
The school was founded by two pro-
fessionals who understand children
with special needs, including those
with ASD: Dr. Don Spivak, a board cer-
tified psychiatrist and psychoanalyst,
and Dr. Nancy Blieden, a child and
adult psychoanalyst. "Children with
ASD are often overlooked or misdiag-
nosed. Meanwhile, they miss out on
valuable early educational opportuni-
ties," said Blieden.
In 1995, Blieden and Spivak served
on a special committee of mental
health professionals and confirmed
through research that early interven-
tion is key to a child's future academic
success. With a gift from a parent,
WLP opened as a nonprofit organiza-
tion in 2009 and currently operates
out of the Corners Center, 2075 Walnut
Lake Road, West Bloomfield.
Students at WLP have a teacher
ratio of 7:2, combined with a staff of
parents, teachers, family consultants
and clinical specialists. The team cre-
ates individualized learning programs
that address each child's social and
behavioral needs.
"The children at WLP have behav-
ioral and emotional problems that can-
not be easily identified. Therefore, they
may not qualify for district special pre-
school services that would help them
adapt well to a traditional preschool,"
said Blieden. "Our staff identifies and
addresses these obstacles early, then
empowers each child to succeed."
Dubin's appearance was one in a
series of fundraising efforts being
held for WLP. The school's goal is to
provide services to any child, regard-
less of ability to pay. 1-1
To learn more, visit the website at
walnutlakepreschool.com .
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