What exactly IS a screening test?
A screening test gives a general picture of a child’s strengths and weaknesses. It cannot be used to determine if a child has a certain disability, but only to determine if a child should receive further testing by a specialist.
What can I do if my child is being screened?
Your observations as a parent are IMPORTANT in screening your child for a disability. You see your child every day while the person doing the testing may, at most, see your child once a month. When your child is being screened for developmental delay or disability, be sure to state clearly any concerns you have. You don't need to use technical terms. In fact, it is usually best to describe exactly what you have observed and what concerns you. For example,
"John doesn't seem to play like other kids his age. He doesn't show much interest in his cousins or other kids when they are over. He will pull a piece of yarn out of the carpet and turn it over and over, staring at it, but I never see him playing with cars or little toy animals. You know how when you pick up a child and put them on your lap they will cuddle to you or reach up and touch your face. You know how sometimes your baby will look at you and give you that look like, 'Look at me! See how smart I am?' Well, John never does that. I mean, never. Not even once."
What if I don't think my child has a disability? Shouldn't you just see if he would grow out of his problems? These activities don't seem to be anything special for children with disabilities.
It is possible that your child may catch up with his peers if just left on his own. There are certainly cases where Native American children are in special education unnecessarily when better teaching or more patience is all that is needed. Dr. Longie has written an article for our upcoming Miniwakan newsletter on his experience as a teacher in early elementary who had many of the boys in his classroom removed from the special education program once he established clear, consistent behavior guidelines.
HOWEVER ... it is also possible that your child may have a disability. Most children with disabilities are mildly or moderately impaired. That is, they will be slower than their peers in learning to talk, know fewer words, have more difficulty understanding what is said to them. If left on their own, it often happens that these children fall further behind. Once they begin school, not knowing what many of the words mean, they begin to fall behind in reading and writing. These are the same children who ten years later drop out of high school.
The good news is that the activities to assist children with delays in, for example, language, are not expensive or difficult. For a child who is a little behind, just a little more teaching, a little more time spent talking to your child, labeling objects, reading books, can help him catch up.
If your child is diagnosed as having a disability or a significant developmental delay, you should be receiving services under an Individualized Family Service Plan. If the delay is not very severe, you may be receiving services from a program such as Early Childhood Tracking.
NEXT: Learn about services to help you and your child