Formal Developmental Screening for 3 Year Old

I have never heard of doing a full evaluation to screen for developmental problems without some question of a problem. There are some insurances that will not pay for core evaluations. My first question would be, does my insurance cover the cost of these tests. Core evaluations can be quite pricey.

I would specifically ask my pediatrician if he/she has seen something to prompt this request. Has your child met developmental milestones, such as physical and speech and language? If the doctor's answer is yes, then I would consider having the testing done. If the price is an issue, keep in mind that from birth to three, Early Intervention supplies therapies, OT, speech, etc. After the age of three, then it would be the responsibility of the public school department. They will also perform testing. They do not, however, diagnose medical problems as they are not doctors.

R.

First of all, pose the question to the pediatrician. I would also ask if this screening is a full psychological eval. or something else, and I certainly would verify that my insurance would cover the cost of the eval. or what portion they will cover. At that point, you can make your own decision as to the necessity of this.

I agree with getting more info on what it's recommended, but I wouldn't skip it or ignore it. Sometimes they have seen something in a particular child, and sometimes problems occur in a specific geographic area that prompt more attention -- although one would hope that, in the latter case, you would have seen news reports or something from the state Department of Health. But not always. However, because of our very poor nutrition these days (no matter what we buy from the supermarket, it's nutritionally deficient), we are seeing a huge increase in diet-related problems, from poor brain development to learning/behavioral disabilities to childhood diabetes. Ask any experienced kindergarten teacher about the incredible increase in problems they are seeing in the early grades. Many school systems provide free early evaluation services. So get some more info, but take advantage of any and all services offered.

Hi N., I am a school psychologist for the preschool in a school district. We do these developmental screenings routinely in daycares, preschools upon request. The pedi's often post the dates in their office so parents can take advantage of the resource. I fthere our no developmetnla concerns, speech, pre-readiness skills. A screening is not necessary. MOst kids do not preform well at this age and have stranger anxiety. If you have concerns then definately follow through. I would call the pedi and ask if they sent the card as a courtesy to the school district or because he/she has concerns for your child.
good luck.

I just noticed some of the responses questioned payments and insurance... anything done by your school departmetn is free! that is what your taxes are for;). It is a free screen offered to everyone in the district. this is common practice across the US.

I know many school districts offer this free service as well. It's just kind of nice to have an idea of if there are things you can work on before your child gets to school. Plus they do hearing and vision tests. As long as your doctor is recommending one of these free screenings- I would say go for it. I would just make sure he wasn't recommending this out of any particular concern for your child. If that's the case- he should give you a heads up on his concerns before just sending you elsewhere for the screening.
-S.

Hi N.,
I take my kids to Pediatric Healthcare in Reading and they do the same thing. I actually think it is a nice service to offer for their patients. My pediatrician sends out a letter to parents right before the child turns 3 reccomending that they make an appointment. It can't hurt. It is much better than a preschool teacher picking up on something 6 months before they are supposed to go off to kindergarten. If your child is developing age appropriately then great! I wouldn't consider the screening a waste of time though. Maybe talk to your pedi about it :)
Just to add...
I'm sure this is not a full evaluation. If it is similiar to my pedi's office then it will be a little play session with a child development expert for like a half hour. He/she will look at motor skills, speech, hand eye coordination and so on. Then they will tell you if there is anything you should be concerned about or anything that you could work on with your child. I've done it with three of my kids. It was in the pediatrician's office, covered by insurance as a regular visit, and it was good piece of mind to know that my child was doing well and ready for preschool.

I would get it done. It could not hurt.

You have gotten great advice about asking the doctor for more information - why is it being suggested? Routine? Is there something the doctor sees?

A developmental screening is not usually the same thing as a full battery of testing. It's often a checklist of developmental milestones where children are expected to be within a range. If something shows up, then the full battery is administered. Most testing involves activities the child often enjoys. People trained to evaluate children are trained to interact appropriately and make it fun. Many school systems advocate and advertise them - and all are require to offer them to children 3 and older. In CT you can request a screening from Birth to 3 if your child is under 36 months - but why not start with your child's doctor. If cost is the issue, ask about insurance coverage and if there is a state agency that can do it for free. You might find that it is just a check list you fill out.

I know first hand about the importance of early intervention. We didn't hear the suggestions from my older son's preschool - we thought they saw what we saw - he was stressed from his birth mother bouncing him back and forth between households until my husband finally won custody. In retrospect we realized they were saying there was stress, but something more was going on and we should get it checked out. We didn't until mid-way through elementary school - when it really impacted his academics and social life and my son felt stigmatized. He never really worked out strategies to deal with his learning disabilities. His wife compensates for him at home and work is often a challenge.

My second son was born 3 months early and we had Birth to 3 involved since he came home. At almost 4 yrs, he has mild sensory integration issues - and we are dealing with them. He sees the early intervention as fun games to play with fun adults - no stigma. He's done with Birth to 3 - the school system didn't have to give him services because we got intervention early.

All children will be screened at some point - whether recommended by a concerned teacher/doctor or by a teacher simply grading the child. Why wouldn't you want to get the screening? It's not much different than looking at child development books to know what to expect at what age.

Just remember it is only a recommendation - if you have any concerns, get it done. If not, skip it. You know your child best.

Hi N.
Just what are they screening for? Is there something specific that they are looking for?
J. H

Personally, I think it's ridiculous. Unless you yourself think your child might have a delay of some kind, I think it is just looking for trouble. If your child seems like a normal three year old, why bother with something like this? The kids are three years old, for pete's sake! What do these doctors expect to find? I think it is just another way for them to make some money from the insurance companies. They give the test, then they say to the parents, "Well, we might have found something, let's give him one more developmental test." and then after that, they say, "Oh, it actually turned out fine!" and, meanwhile, the parents are nervous wrecks. But if you will feel better getting the test done, then do it - it is your child and only you know what's best for your child. Good luck.

You should just get it done i did for my 11yr old in k-garden and it was the greatest thing i did for her.

I think if your pediatrician recommended it, then I would probably ask some questions and get it done. There may be something that he/she sees that you don't. Any help you can get early on is good and some problems can be corrected if caught early and you won't see any problems later. Plus, if you find out that your child learns differently or needs different tools for learning than other kids that would be reason enough to get this evalation.

Unless you indicated to the pediatrician that you have concerns (perhaps at the 3 year check-up?) or the pedi herself expressed concerns, it sounds to me like this is just a cover your backside thing. Yes, it is easier to help children with issues when you catch things earlier.... but today parents and educators put so much emphasis on their being "school ready," that the pediatrician feels she is just probably doing her job to let you know to screen him! In Massachusetts, we are preparing them for the MCAS they are going to take in 4th grade already! Children have such a wide range of what is normal. If you feel there might be a problem, you can always have him screened through your town for free. Otherwise, let the kid be and enjoy him, too!

I had my son screened & he received testing and then Physical therapy and Occupational therapy prior to kindergarten. It changed his life. It was wonderful to see his confidence grow as he learned to trust his body would respond the way he wanted it to.

He was much more prepared for school as a result.

Also they taught him ways to make things easier for him. Like always sitting in a chair, not on the floor and using a pencil grip. It makes it so he knows how to adjust his surroundings to better support himself.

I also realized there were things I was frustrated with him about that he was not able to do. Things like sitting up in a chair or using his folk were not as easy as I thought. I learned to have more patience and understanding.

The screening allows you to get help sooner instead of waiting until they are in school. You love your child and may not notice things they will see. My son had made adjustments in how he operated so I did not see it the way they did.

Good luck.

Hi N.

I would just do it. Your town/city should be offering a free evaluation. YOU can contact your school department to see if they are running a child find program and if not you can show them what your doctor gave you and they have to do it for you FREE of charge.

S.