ABC Child Find Screening

1. ABC Child Find Screening La Porte ISD Child Find Created by: Dixie Maxwell

2. ABC Child Find Screening What is the purpose of the Child Find Screening? • To provide a basic skills screening for young children to determine if there is any significant delays.

3. In What Areas is Your Child Being Tested? • Hearing • Vision • Fine/Gross Motor Skills • Cognitive/Academic skills • Language/Speech

4. What is the Testing Procedure? • Your child will go through a series of stations. • The ABC Assessment Team will work with your child to assess his/her functioning levels through a variety of screening assessments. • Your child will be escorted throughout the entire process. • We ask that the parent remain in the waiting area while the child is being tested independently.

5. Who Conducts the Screening Tests? • School Nurse • Teacher of the Visually Impaired • Physical Therapist • Occupational Therapist • Speech-Language Pathologists • Educational Diagnostician • School Psychologist

6. What Tests or Methods Are Used? • The DIAL-3 is a standardized assessment tool consisting of a variety of fun, age appropriate activities using bright, appealing, child –friendly materials in areas that cover writing, drawing, cutting, jumping, sorting and classifying objects, problem solving, vocabulary and pronunciation. • The PLS-4 Screener is a standardized, individually administered assessment of articulation and composite language. The PLS-4 quickly identifies those preschool children for whom a complete speech and language evaluation is recommended.

7. What is Expected From You the Parent? • While your child is participating in the screening, you will be asked to provide additional information about your child by completing a case history. • Once again, please stay in the reception area while your child is being screened. • Once you complete the case history and your child has finished with the screening, we ask you to check out with our staff before you leave so we can ensure that we have all the information required from you.

8. How Do I Find Out the Results of the Screening? • Your child’s results will be mailed to you within two weeks following the screening. • These results will indicate the recommendation of the screening team and are not to be considered a formal test report.

9. Recommendations of the Screening Team • If the screening team determines that your child is functioning within expected levels for his or her age, no further action will be recommended. • If the results indicate that your child is slightly behind in one or more areas, you may be given some suggestions of specific activities to use when working with your child. In this case, you may be asked to monitor his or her progress or possibly bring him/her back for re-screening at a later date. • If it is determined that your child is experiencing a suspected delay in a specific area, it may be recommended that he/she be referred for comprehensive testing by the special education staff. If your child is recommended for formal testing, school staff will call you to make an appointment to fill out the necessary paperwork. Please be aware that there is a wide variety of ‘normal’ for young children and that the screening today is simply to investigate the possibility of developmental delays using standardized measures.

10. Commonly Asked Questions About the ABC Child Find Screening • What happens next? You will receive a copy of the screening team’s recommendations in the mail within two weeks • Should I call the office Monday? Please do not call the office the next week. If you do not hear from us in two weeks, please call the Special Education Office at 281-604-7028 or 7029 • Is the screening the procedure for getting my child into Head Start or the Pre-K 4 year old program? No, this screening is for the special education program for students with disabilities.

11. Will my child be put into some type of special ed program? This screening will only determine if your child needs to be referred for a formal evaluation. If so, more testing will have to be completed. Special education placement will only be an option if your child is identified as having a disability and an educational need for specialized instruction.

12. What if the screening team wants to do further testing? If your child performs below expected age levels on the screening, you will be asked to complete a formal referral for special education testing. Once this testing is complete, the Admissions, Review and Dismissal Committee (ARDC) will meet to determine whether the testing reveals a disability and an education need for specialized instruction. If your child does qualify, the ARDC may recommend some type of intervention program. These intervention programs include a wide range of services from weekly speech therapy to the early childhood Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities. (PPCD)

13. Is the special education early childhood program (PPCD) available for all students? No. The Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities is not a daycare, babysitting or free preschool program. It is a highly structured program taught by a special education teacher and it is designed to serve children (ages 3-6) who have met Texas Education Agency (TEA) criteria as having a significant disability that interferes with the child’s ability to learn in a general education setting and requires specialized instruction. Only students who have been identified as having a specific disability will qualify for the PPCD early childhood program. Qualification for this program is based on your formal consent and assessment process. The screening team will let you know if your child needs to be referred for testing for this program.

14. Will I get a formal test report? No. The screening procedure will only provide you with general recommendations from the screening team; it is not to be considered a formal evaluation. Within two weeks of the screening date, you will receive a results matrix that reflects your child’s performance.

15. What if the ABC Assessment team says my child is OK now but he continues to have problems later? If at any time, you feel that your child is not making adequate progress, you may call back to have him/her re-screened. Screening are held throughout the school year.

16. Do you screen for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? The screening addresses all developmental areas including social development. The screening staff may be able to provide you with information about how your child attended and concentrated in comparison to other children in the screening, but a formal diagnosis of ADHD is typically initiated by the child’s physician.