Dell Rapids School District will be offering FREE developmental screenings for children ages 3 through age 5 that live within the school district boundaries.

September 26, 2016

If you are interested in learning more about your child’s current level of development or have concerns in the areas of personal-social, fine and gross motor, cognitive, and communication skills, we encourage you to participate in this screening opportunity.

Registration deadline is September 23, 2016

Register online at the Dell Rapids School website http://dr-k12.org/ or by calling the school at 428.5473 option 6.

What is screening?

• A screening is a series of short tasks and observations in various developmental areas. The purpose is to let us know if we need to complete further evaluation of the child’s development. We usually screen 2 to 3 children during the same time period.

What age children get screened?

• The early childhood screening is for children ages 3 to 5 who have not entered kindergarten/kindergarten-prep.

What developmental areas are covered?

• At early childhood screening, we screen the areas of speech and language, concept development, motor coordination (fine and gross), and social development. The screening is adjusted for your child’s age.

Who screens my child?

• Early Childhood team consists of early childhood teachers, staff, and speech language pathologists. There will be highly qualified educators available to answer questions and explain screening results.

How long does the screening take?

• The screening usually takes about an hour, but plan on somewhat longer. If your child needs some “warm-up time”, the screening may take a little longer.

What should I tell my child before we come?

• We suggest that you tell your child that they will be playing some games that will help everyone learn more about him or her. Try to avoid the word “test” and, more importantly, try to convey to the child that it will be fun.

Will the screening be stressful for my child?

• Rarely. Most children enjoy the screening activities. At times, a child may need more time to warm up and be comfortable. On some occasions, a child is not able to complete all the tasks. If this happens we will talk with you to determine what to do next.

Is it okay to bring guests or siblings?

• We encourage families to avoid bringing siblings to the screening. Young children will benefit from a quiet, relaxed environment during the screening process.

What is expected of the parent concerning the screening?

• There is a screening questionnaire to fill out about your child when you arrive.  Also, please bring copies of any reports from individuals or agencies (such as speech therapists, physicians, occupational therapists, etc…) that you feel might be helpful to us.
• When all screening activities have been completed, your child will be allowed to play in the toy area while we discuss the results with you. At that time, you will also have an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s development.

When will I receive the results of the screening?

• The professionals who have screened your child will discuss their observations with you at the screening. There will be information available describing activities for your child in all areas of development.

What are the possible outcomes of the screening?

• If your child’s performance falls within age appropriate limits no further follow-up will be suggested. If a child has some difficulty in one or more areas, we may give you ideas of things to do at home. We will sometimes suggest that we check in with you at a later date to monitor progress. If your child has greater difficulty in one or more areas, further evaluation may be expected. If further evaluation is recommended, it can be completed by our team. As with the screening, there is no charge for this. The purpose of the evaluation would be to determine if your child would be eligible to receive school district services at no cost.

Will the screening results tell me if my child is advanced?

• The purpose of our screening is to identify areas of possible concern. The screening is not designed to identify advanced skills.

We hope that you have found this information helpful, and that your experience with early childhood screening is a positive and enjoyable one. We look forward to meeting you and your child.