{"id":93,"date":"2022-06-22T18:49:47","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T18:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accece1045\/chapter\/the-purpose-of-monitoring-screening-and-evaluating-young-children\/"},"modified":"2024-08-05T19:04:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T19:04:53","slug":"the-purpose-of-monitoring-screening-and-evaluating-young-children","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accece1045\/chapter\/the-purpose-of-monitoring-screening-and-evaluating-young-children\/","title":{"raw":"The Purpose of Monitoring, Screening and Evaluating Young Children","rendered":"The Purpose of Monitoring, Screening and Evaluating Young Children"},"content":{"raw":"Because many parents are not familiar with developmental milestones, they might not recognize that their child has a developmental delay or disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cIn the United States, about 1 in 6 children aged 3 to 17 years have one or more developmental or behavioral disabilities, such as autism, a learning disorder, or attention deficit \/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).\u201d What\u2019s more concerning is that many children are not being identified as having a delay or disability until they are in elementary school . Subsequently, they will not receive the appropriate support and services they need early on to be successful at school. It has been well-documented, in both educational and medical professional literature, that developmental outcomes for young children with delays and disabilities can be greatly improved with early identification and intervention (Squires, Nickel, & Eisert, 1996; Shonkoff & Meisels, 2000). While some parents might be in denial and struggling with the uncertainty of having a child with special needs, some parents might not be aware that there are support services available for young children and they may not know how to advocate for their child. Thus, as early child educators we have an obligation to help families navigate through the process of monitoring, as well as provide information and resources if a screening or evaluation is necessary.\n

The Process of Monitoring<\/h2>\nWho can monitor a child\u2019s development? Parents, grandparents, early caregivers, providers and teachers can monitor the children in their care. As previously stated in Chapter 3, one of the tasks of an intentional teacher is to gather baseline data within the first 60 days of a child starting their program. With each observation, teachers are listening to how a child speaks and if they can communicate effectively; they are watching to see how the child plays and interacts with their peers; and they are recording how the child processes information and problem solves. By monitoring a child closely, not only can we observe how a child grows and develops, we can track changes over time. More importantly, we can identify children who fall outside the parameters of what is considered normal or \u201ctypical\u201d development.\n\nWhen teachers monitor children, they are observing and documenting whether children are mastering \u201ctypical\u201d developmental milestones in the physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social domains of development. In particular, teachers are tracking a child\u2019s speech and language development, problem-solving skills, fine and gross motor skills, social skills and behaviors, so that they can be more responsive to each child\u2019s individual needs. Even more so, teachers are trying to figure out what a child can do, and if there are any \u201cred flags\u201d or developmental areas that need further support. As early caregivers and teachers, we are not qualified to formally screen and evaluate children. We can however monitor children\u2019s actions, ask questions that can guide our observations, track developmental milestones, and record our observations. With this vital information we can make more informed decisions on what is in the child\u2019s best interest.\n

What is this Child Trying to Tell Me?<\/h2>\nWith 12-24 busy children in a classroom, there are bound to be occasional outbursts and challenging behaviors to contend with. In fact, a portion of a teacher\u2019s day is typically spent guiding challenging behaviors. With all the numerous duties and responsibilities that a teacher performs daily, dealing with challenging behaviors can be taxing. When a child repeats a challenging behavior, we might be bothered, frustrated, or even confused by their actions. We might find ourselves asking questions like:\n