Thanks re: homeschooling!
Re: preschool, my kids went to a Reggio-Emilio School. It's a bit like Montessori in that it's designed to be very hands-on. Unlike Montessori, R-E schools are very arts based and "non-academic". I liked the philosophy, overall. The aged-based groupings and age-appropriate projects/materials/expectations were a poor fit for Boo. I have a feeling she would have thrived in an "appropriate-for-the-individual-child" setting. Then again, so would every child!
My kids were enrolled strictly for the "social" aspect of the school. That idea didn't pan out well for us. Although, Racer loved the sensory table when it was filled with water, soap suds, and toy boats and Boo left with a large collection of collages and sculptures. (Her teacher even commented that she found Boo's sense of depth, balance and color scheming to be highly impressive!
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Your daughter might do wonderfully and find the social aspect fun and engaging. That is to say, please, be sure to take my anecdotal information with a grain of salt. (I'm sure you are, but I said it anyway.
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Oh and with time, I am sure your DD would be able to figure out how other kids work, how to deal with age-mates, etc. by going to the park, on play dates, etc. Also, I've found with homeschooling that while my kids spend time around children their ages, they spend even more time in mixed-aged groupings. This interaction has allowed them to really hone their interpersonal skills, learn to work with a variety of abilities, etc. Just so, if your Plan A (preschool) doesn't pan out the way you hope, you know your DD can still have ample opportunities to hone her social skills.
