I bet I have screened thousands of little kids over the years, but one the other day really stood out.
The little boy acted laid back during the screening. He took it all in, and was a deep little thinker.
I got towards the end of the screening, where some of the questions got a little hard for him. I could tell he was bothered by the fact I was asking him questions to which he didn’t know the answer.
After I asked him to rhyme some words, he did a big pause, leaned forward in his seat, looked me straight in the eye and said, “Ya know, YOU don’t look all that smart yourself, either.”
It was one of those “out of the mouths of kids” moments that I will always remember. We made up and were friends again after he got some really cool stickers and a toothbrush to take home.
My point of the above story is to remind parents that the school year is almost half over. If you have a child at home age 6 months to pre-kindergarten, it is time for you to call your school and request its free developmental screening.
Your local Parents as Teachers program through your school will set this up and conduct the screening for you. It is a valuable tool in early detection if there are problems or delays.
Believe me, even if you think your child is fine and on track, you as the parent can often live with an issue and be so used to it that you can overlook it easily on your own child.
I always cite my youngest daughter, Allison. I screened kids daily and referred them for all sorts of issues, but mostly speech. I knew Allison had some speech issues at 3, but after her screening (done by another, unbiased parent educator), we found that her speech was in the bottom 3 percent for her age.
She immediately qualified for speech services, which she got through Carl Junction schools. That early intervention had her improve and released from speech services after just a few years.
I was shocked at how bad her speech was rated, but heck, I lived with her every day, and I was used to translating for her and knowing what she was saying. I was almost offended when my mom and brother told me to go in and get help quick because they couldn’t understand her, I heard kids everyday — how could I miss it?
I find parents are often the last to know, because our mama bear instincts make us just get in there and cover up and help them with what they need help with. I translated for Allison or answered for her without even knowing I was.
The earlier problems are detected and services can be started, the better. Many children who we refer for speech services before they ever go to kindergarten complete their goals prior to going off to school and never have to be pulled out of class.
Last year, one of the early childhood special education teachers at Carthage had 75 percent of her class go off to kindergarten and mainstream into regular kindergarten classrooms. Having referred a lot of those kids to her myself, I can tell you, without the tremendous progress they made in her class and that early detection, that would not have been possible for them.
So, what is done at a screening? Before the age of 3, depending on what screening tool your school uses, your educator will just check and make sure developmental progress is on track and do a simple functional assessment of your child’s eyes and make sure he is turning and hearing simple sounds.
After the age of 3 years, a more comprehensive developmental screening is done (not to be confused with an IQ test). These scores will show you what your child’s strong points are and what he needs to work on to be on track for school. Children usually enjoy the screening and parents walk away with great information about their child.
At this age, we also have children read an eye chart, check their ears for fluid and see how they hear with the audiometer. Again, I think we are many of these children’s first official hearing and vision check and, although we are not doctors, we find a lot of issues.
For example: It is amazing to see a kid come back with glasses after we find they have poor vision and refer them to an eye doctor. When we re-screen, they become like a whole new kid.
If your child will go to kindergarten in the fall, your school may hold off until April to do a screening, but calling now will put you on its kindergarten list that schools are starting now. Younger preschoolers may be able to qualify for one of the many different types of preschools offered in your school district.
Waiting lists for those have already started, so call your school today to ensure you have a healthy, happy and ready learner.
Jane Drummond is a parent educator for the Carthage School District. Contact her at janedrummond@mchsi.com.
