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  • Before Screening
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Child Find: At the Screening

Who will be screening my child?

Your child will be screened by an early childhood special education teacher trained to administer and interpret developmental screening instruments.

What happens at the screening?

Each screening may last up to one and one quarter hours. During this time, the following are completed:

• Parent permission for developmental screening and parent permission for exchange of
  information obtained
• Discussion of concerns with parents and overview of the screening process
• Screening of the child's speech, language, fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, social, and self-help
  skills using several standardized screening tools
  
• Discussion of initial screening results and possible next steps.(Note: the screener will not be
  able to indicate definite results at the screening until all tests have been scored and all necessary information gathered)
• Discussion of strategies/suggestions for parents

Parents are often encouraged to remain in the testing rooms with their children. This can often help children feel more comfortable with the screener, and can be helpful in determining if skills and behaviors observed during screening were typical for the child. However, parents may not attempt to assist their children during the screening or re-interpret questions asked by the screener for their child, since the instruments used are standardized, and have to be administered in a specific way in order to give valid results.

At times, parents may be asked to wait outside the testing room during the screening.

What if my child is bilingual or speaks limited or no English?
If your child...

only speaks/understands a language other than English;
is bilingual (includes both speaking and understanding); or
has had frequent exposure to a language other than English
then...

Preschool Child Find will make every attempt to provide a translator during the screening to ensure that the child's abilities are measured accurately and are not hindered by difficulty in understanding English or by the screener's inability to identify words used in another language.

If the child speaks a language for which Preschool Child Find is unable to locate a translator, through Translation Services 571-423-4442, Child Find will ask the parent to assist the screener.