Head Start - Myths and Facts About The Child Developmental Screening Process
x = Myth o = Fact
x Children with IEP's need an ESI-R assessment at summer
screening.
o Children who have a valid IEP are not required
to complete an additional developmental screening. However,
a copy of the completed screening administered must be
available in the child's file along with the IEP. If the
child is still in the "refer" process and the
IEP is not complete, an ESI-R screening is still needed.
x Children under 3 years old do not need a developmental
assessment.
o All children enrolling in the Head Start program
are to have a developmental screening. Children under 3
years old are screened using the Denver II Screening Instrument.
x Children who are screened using the Denver II also
need an ESI-R when they turn three years old.
o Children screened via the Denver II, do not need
an ESI-R. One screening is sufficient to assess whether
children need further evaluation.
x The Denver II screening can be administered to all
children.
o Wayne County Head Start has elected to use the
Denver II Screening Tool for children 3 years and younger.
The ESI-R should be administered to children 3 years and
older.
x A child who is 2 years and 11 months old may be screened
with the ESI-R because the child has a rounded age of 3 years
old.
o The ESI-R has been standardized for children 3.0
to 6.0 years of age. This means that cutoffs have not been
standardized for children who have not reached their third
birthday.
x After screening children with the ESI-R, the examiner
may not change a score if the score was found incorrect.
o Scoring children's responses must be accurate
to assure the highest validity. It is essential that
proper interpretations be made from the total screening
score to formulate the screening decisions of "refer," "rescreen," or "OK." If
after scoring the child, the examiner discovers that
a mistake in scoring has been made, it is appropriate
to adjust the score so that it properly reflects the
child's response. However, the examiner may not change
or hamper with the child's response in any way. If change
in scoring is needed, please explain the change in the
comments section of the score sheet with your initials
and the date.
x When computing children's ages for the ESI-R, the date
of screening, date of birth and child's rounded age need to be
noted. However, the current age does not necessarily need to
be completed.
o It is essential that the child's rounded age
be accurately noted with consideration of the exact date
of screening. The child's rounded age determines which
tasks are performed during the screening. For example,
children who are at least 4 years old, are asked to perform
an additional four tasks on the ESI-P [ESI-R for preschool
children ages 3-4.5]. It is highly recommended, but not
essential, that all four computational steps be noted
on the score sheet before the screening. It is necessary
that the rounded age be computed accurately before the
screening of individual children. However, all computational
steps must be noted on the score sheet before adding
it to the child's file.
x If a child is 3 years and 11 months old, the child
will complete tasks designated for 4 year olds.
o When rounding children's ages, months are not
rounded to years. Therefore, a child who is 3 years and
11 months will not have an age rounded to 4 years old
and will not complete tasks specific to 4 year olds.
Only children who have had their fourth birthday will
be asked to complete the additional tasks.
:: back to top ::
x The parent of the child being screened is not allowed
in the room while the child is being screened.
o Parents should be invited to accompany their
child to the screening session. Seat parents behind
and apart from the child so that they can watch but
not interfere. If parents attempt to correct or speak
for their child, explain to them that in this situation
you are interested only in the child's response. It
is recommended that children whose primary language
is not English, be screened by an examiner who is fluent
in the child's primary language. Sometimes, a third
party is needed to interpret for children. A parent
may serve as interpreter for the child but may not
interfere with or try to correct the child's responses.
x Children who need re-screening, must have their second
screening completed within 2 weeks from the initial screening.
o Children who need re-screening, must be rescreened
within 8-10 weeks from the initial screening.
x Children who do not pass using the Denver II should
be rescreened using the ESI-R after the 8-10 week wait period.
o If children need to be rescreened, they should
do so using the exact same instrument that they were
initially screened with. For example, children needing
rescreening after using the Denver II will again be
screened with the Denver II. Using two different tools
will skew screening scores.
x When a child refuses a few tasks on the ESI-R, continue
to screen the child the best that you can.
o When a child Refuses more than three or four
tasks, the overall score becomes invalid because there
are too many areas in which it is unclear if the child
can perform the tasks. In these cases, no score should
be assigned and a note on the front of the score sheet
should indicate that the screening was "unscorable
due to too many Refusals."
x The developmental screenings diagnose children who
may have a disability.
o The developmental screenings can only indicate
if further evaluation may be needed.
x Children are only screened one time even when enrolled
in the program multiple years.
o All children will be screened yearly as part
of the screening process.
x Anyone wanting to assist may conduct a developmental
screening with children.
o Trained examiners conduct the developmental
screenings. Examiners must be familiar with the assessment
manuals, must have observed an experienced examiner
administer the instrument or observed the training
videotapes; and must have been supervised in their
practice of the instrument.
Provided by: Wayne County Head Start 30712
Michigan Avenue Westland, MI 48186