Now let’s dig in deeper to understand the screening process.

Screenings are conducted to identify children who may need formal evaluation to determine their risk for health, sensory, cognitive, motor, language, or social-emotional delays. When a child’s screening results indicate that a formal evaluation is appropriate, the disabilities coordinator, classroom teacher, and other personnel are required to arrange for further formal evaluation to determine whether the child has a disability. Initial screening data also sets the stage for where to begin.

A screening tool often has a few tasks for a child to complete and questions to answer in each developmental domain. Typically, a screening lasts less than an hour. Therefore, it yields an initial snapshot of a child’s developmental abilities. It provides a place to begin building on a child’s understanding and ability. It identifies where educators may need to observe further.

It is important to learn from the start if a child can see and hear, so all developmental screening should include assessment of these sensory abilities. Give the child instructions in their dominant language to be sure this assessment produces a valid picture of a child’s vision and hearing—not influenced by the child’s inability to follow directions.

Successful screening is an initial process to:

• Identify children in need of diagnostic evaluation, specialized services, or individualized instruction.
• Understand and extend children’s learning and development.
• Collaborate with families and share information about their children’s development.

Many early childhood programs have screening requirements. For example, Head Start programs require screening in all developmental areas within 45 calendar days of the child’s entry into the program to identify any potential concerns. The federal government emphasizes the need to complete screenings and assessments in a child’s home language to prevent misleading conclusions during assessment.

The video, Early Childhood Screening (3:34), shows an example of a general screening at a program in Minnesota, which typically includes vision, hearing, and developmental domains, such as language, cognitive, social-emotional, and motor skills. This screening, as described in the video, helps identify any potential difficulties before children enter kindergarten so they can receive support. As you watch the screening process being described, think about what supports should be built in for students who are multilingual learners and their families.

Using what you’ve learned so far, what supports do you think should be built in to the screening process to support children who are multilingual learners and their families?

references

Creative Creations Media, LLC (2014, July 5). Early childhood screening. [Video file]

U.S. Department of the Interior & U.S. Geological Survey. States (in light colors). [Image]