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Developmental screening essential for children
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| Michaela Nelson, left, Special Services director for ESU 13, and Wendy Kemling, director of Student Services for the Scottsbluff School District, talk to reporters about the upcoming Child Development Screening on Feb. 3 and 5 at Monument Mall in Scottsbluff. Photo by Roger Holsinger |
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By: ROGER HOLSINGER, Assistant Editor
Sometimes all a family needs when it comes to their child’s development is a little help.
Some of that help can be obtained through a developmental screening process set for Feb. 3 and 5 at Monument Mall in Scottsbluff.
The screening is designed for children up to three years of age and is being done at no cost for those participating. The event is a collaborative effort involving Planning Region 13, the Early Development Network, Scotts Bluff and Banner County schools, Educational Service Unit 13 and Panhandle Community Services Early Head Start.
Special Services Director for ESU 13 Michaela Nelson said the purpose of the screening is to determine if a child is learning basic skills when they should be or if there are needs that should be addressed by parents, daycare providers and educators.
“One of the main reasons we’re providing this service is that we feel that children need to develop their milestones on target and if that doesn’t happen, we don’t want children to have to wait to get help.
“We are providing this service — free of charge — to all parents of children, birth to three, that are concerned about their child’s development or maybe just want to confirm that their child is developing on target,” Nelson said.
She said when people talk about the development of a young child, many factors are involved other than just the child’s height and weight.
“We’re not really going to take size or age into consideration. We’re going to look at the speech and language development, fine and growth motor skills, problems solving skills and personal-social development as well as hearing that can affect any of the above mentioned skills.”
This is the third year the Scottsbluff School District and ESU 13 has teamed up for the event and Nelson said that multiple agencies will be on hand to visit with parents about the results of the screening. She said she also wants to remind parents that every child develops differently and that parents should not get overly concerned if their child isn’t developing as quickly as another child.
However, she said this event also allows parents the chance to alleviate some fears regarding their child’s development by going through the screening process.
Wendy Kemling, director of Student Services for the Scottsbluff School District, said the times for the event have been changed this year to accommodate the schedules of parents in the valley. The screening will be done both days from 2 to 6 p.m.
Nelson said that while it might appear that more children are now being diagnosed with developmental issues, that’s not the case.
“I think we’re identifying them much earlier … 25 years ago we labeled children that we now know have autism as something else.
“Because there is such a great movement in the United States for identifying children with autism, we definitely have seen an increase … in the long run, it (screening) not only benefits the child and families but also when they are in school then they have an easier time of developing as other children their age do,” Nelson said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, skills such as a child taking their first step, smiling or name recognition are termed as development milestones. Children reach those milestones by playing, learning and speaking. A developmental delay is when a child does not reach those milestones at the same times as other children the same age.
If a child doesn’t develop at the correct pace, there are things that can be done.
Kemling said it must first be determined what type of assistance the child needs but often children are offered help through a physical therapist or a speech pathologist.
The CDC estimates that 17 percent of children in the United States have a developmental or behavioral disability, such as autism, mental retardation or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kemling said approximately 10 to 14 percent in the Scottsbluff School District are receiving some type of assistance regarding a developmental issue.
In addition to the screening, children’s car seats will be inspected for proper installation and Nelson said bilingual screeners would also be available for families.
For more information about the screening or to make an appointment for a screening, call (308) 635-3427.
Some of that help can be obtained through a developmental screening process set for Feb. 3 and 5 at Monument Mall in Scottsbluff.
The screening is designed for children up to three years of age and is being done at no cost for those participating. The event is a collaborative effort involving Planning Region 13, the Early Development Network, Scotts Bluff and Banner County schools, Educational Service Unit 13 and Panhandle Community Services Early Head Start.
Special Services Director for ESU 13 Michaela Nelson said the purpose of the screening is to determine if a child is learning basic skills when they should be or if there are needs that should be addressed by parents, daycare providers and educators.
“One of the main reasons we’re providing this service is that we feel that children need to develop their milestones on target and if that doesn’t happen, we don’t want children to have to wait to get help.
“We are providing this service — free of charge — to all parents of children, birth to three, that are concerned about their child’s development or maybe just want to confirm that their child is developing on target,” Nelson said.
She said when people talk about the development of a young child, many factors are involved other than just the child’s height and weight.
“We’re not really going to take size or age into consideration. We’re going to look at the speech and language development, fine and growth motor skills, problems solving skills and personal-social development as well as hearing that can affect any of the above mentioned skills.”
This is the third year the Scottsbluff School District and ESU 13 has teamed up for the event and Nelson said that multiple agencies will be on hand to visit with parents about the results of the screening. She said she also wants to remind parents that every child develops differently and that parents should not get overly concerned if their child isn’t developing as quickly as another child.
However, she said this event also allows parents the chance to alleviate some fears regarding their child’s development by going through the screening process.
Wendy Kemling, director of Student Services for the Scottsbluff School District, said the times for the event have been changed this year to accommodate the schedules of parents in the valley. The screening will be done both days from 2 to 6 p.m.
Nelson said that while it might appear that more children are now being diagnosed with developmental issues, that’s not the case.
“I think we’re identifying them much earlier … 25 years ago we labeled children that we now know have autism as something else.
“Because there is such a great movement in the United States for identifying children with autism, we definitely have seen an increase … in the long run, it (screening) not only benefits the child and families but also when they are in school then they have an easier time of developing as other children their age do,” Nelson said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, skills such as a child taking their first step, smiling or name recognition are termed as development milestones. Children reach those milestones by playing, learning and speaking. A developmental delay is when a child does not reach those milestones at the same times as other children the same age.
If a child doesn’t develop at the correct pace, there are things that can be done.
Kemling said it must first be determined what type of assistance the child needs but often children are offered help through a physical therapist or a speech pathologist.
The CDC estimates that 17 percent of children in the United States have a developmental or behavioral disability, such as autism, mental retardation or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kemling said approximately 10 to 14 percent in the Scottsbluff School District are receiving some type of assistance regarding a developmental issue.
In addition to the screening, children’s car seats will be inspected for proper installation and Nelson said bilingual screeners would also be available for families.
For more information about the screening or to make an appointment for a screening, call (308) 635-3427.
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