RECORDING OBSERVATIONS
So, you suspect a child in your class has a disability and your supervisor has told you to record your observations. How exactly do you do this? Will the parents be mad at you? How can you can be sure your report looks the way it should? These are common questions. One of the handy resources on your Caring for Our People Training CD is an electronic filing cabinet. Just like a metal filing cabinet, it is full of forms you might need for different occasions.
Click here for an observation report form you can use, from our electronic filing cabinet.
Click here to go to the filing cabinet index. Click on any other form you might find useful. There are only a few forms here right now because this is a new resource added in October, 2006. However, we add to it weekly. If you have a form you would like to send us that you would be willing to share with other programs, we would love to have it, just email us .
SCREENING
Combine your observations with the results of screening to help decide if you need to make a referral.
What is screening?
Screening is a short test or survey that can determine if a child has a potential problem area which may make it difficult for her to learn in the same way as other children. Young children should receive screening in several areas, hearing, vision, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, language, social skills and emotional adjustment.
Why screen children?
Some staff members are reluctant to have children screened for disabilities because they are worried that the children will receive a label that will follow them throughout life. We disagree. The earlier children receive intervention the better. Just imagine a child not being able to walk or talk for two or three years because she did not receive physical therapy or speech therapy that could help her. On the other hand, a complete assessment is time-consuming and expensive. Even if a program had the time and money to perform an IQ test on every child, for example, there are not enough personnel in rural areas to do this. Even if there were, it would be a waste of resources. We would rather have professionals providing services to children and consulting with teachers rather than giving unneeded tests to children who are developing well.
