This Thurs., Nov. 19, starting at 11 AM, Supv.  Michael D. Antonovich will  join parents, children and representatives of Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) and Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) to celebrate the opening of Loma Alta Preschool in Altadena. The preschool, which serves 40 children, is unique in that it is a blended inclusion site that enables staff to meet the needs of eight children with autism, as well as 32 typically developing children. PUSD’s innovative blended-inclusion preschool model will provide a high-quality education program for both typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Loma Alta Preschool is the only site district-wide to provide a 23-hour-a-week educational program for children with ASD in a "blended inclusion" format with typically-developing peers.

This preschool will address the need in the Pasadena area to provide services to children and families of four-year-olds with ASD. Antonovich directed LAUP to invest money in the development of this preschool, which is located in the supervisor’s Fifth Supervisoral District, to serve the dual needs of high-quality preschool education and the special needs of children with ASD.

LAUP funding in the amount of $264,000 was used to renovate a classroom to meet the students’ needs, as well as accommodate an activity room, teacher work room, renovation of outdoor playground and the purchase of educational material. In addition, LAUP will invest $152,000 annually through 2012 to provide a high-quality preschool program at this site, in partnership with the PUSD. The school district has pledged to continue this program beyond 2012, using preschool funding from the California Department of Education.

 Loma Alta Preschool is located at 3544 N. Canon Blvd., Altadena.