Preschool Screening… what was the point? I can understand if a child has never been to the dentist, optometrist, or family doctor or even if parents simply have concerns they would like to have checked before beginning school. I have trouble figuring out what the point of our visit was. Not that I think Trey is without flaw but I knew that there was no concern as to his readiness for school and it sort of felt like a waste of time. I played along and was polite.
First he had his eyes checked even though he was at the Optometrist just two months ago and there is nothing wrong with his vision. The eye checking girl was sweet and interacted with Trey really well. He cooperated and enjoyed the little test.
Then the dental hygienist had a look… even though he’s been at the dentist regularly. She explained to him how to brush his teeth and asked him if he flosses his teeth. He said no… that might be because the parent flosses them for him! I think I do a better job than he would. I didn’t bother to explain but sat through the how to floss your teeth seminar that barely held his attention because there were cool things over on that shelf… and a bubble aquarium behind him that would have been much more fun. He cooperated and I accepted the pamphlets. Yes I know what sealants are. I’ve been taking kids to the dentist for a lot of years.
Lastly we went in for the speech assessment. This is where I really wanted to just leave. If you’ve read previous blogs you know that Trey has initiated his own speech therapy and asks for help learning to say words properly – I have no concerns about his speech. It’s age appropriate and progressing as it should. He comprehends, follows instructions, and he communicates well with people of all ages. No worries. So to begin with he had to sit at an adult size table in an adult chair. He instantly compensated by sitting on his feet but he still had his boots on and wasn’t settling into position quite quickly enough for the therapists liking. (oh this is going to be fun…) She seemed wound a little too tight and jumped up to assist him in sitting down. Well he can’t see what’s on the table if he sits down. I get it, so I help him remove boots and tell him to sit on his feet anyway. The testing continues with flash cards. I recognize them from when I was in preschool. Can our province not update a few resources? A few activities came next and the request to put the block under his chair stumped him. He knows what under means but he can’t reach that far. He hesitated because we tell him not to throw toys on the floor and he had to be told that he can drop the block. Why not simply ask him to put the block under something he could reach like the book on the table right in front of him? I was a little frustrated sitting through this session – does it show? Then story time. I thought it might get better about now. Then I saw the story. There were 4×6 black and white pictures on sheets of paper. I could hardly tell what those pictures were and they certainly weren’t interesting. He did fine explaining the story back to her. I just think that with today’s technology the resources could be a little more engaging for children. Perhaps I should have let him explain to her how the iPhone can assist her with her daily organization because it has “everything in the world on it” … oh dear.
I don’t mean to be totally negative about this and I do see the need to assess kids. However, being a parent of a special needs child and experiencing the struggle of getting resources so my child could even have a learning experience in public school, I think there are more important things than double checking eyes that work fine or teeth that are checked by a dentist. With so many jobs being cut and children who desperately need the extra resources it seems silly to me to waste valuable time and money to screen children who are already being followed by professionals when a simple conversation with many parents would be sufficient to determine the need. Intervene when there is a concern and use the resources where they are truly needed!
The best part of all this is that I get to do it again next year with Dija! I think I’ll offer some suggestions to consider before we go through it again.
1. Update flashcards, etc.
2. Use Children size furniture if you want them to sit properly.
3. Only use professionals who can interact with children without barking orders at them.
Trey did pass all of his tests and will begin school in September. Big schedule changes ahead of us that frighten me just a little but I know he’ll love school.