USD320 Wamego

A screening is a series of short tasks and professional observations in various developmental areas. It can help to address concerns that you have about your preschool child’s learning, speech, physical development, or behavior.

The purpose is to let us know if we need to complete further evaluation of the child’s development.

The Child Find screening is for children ages birth to 5 years of age and is adjusted to your child’s age.

The Child Find team may include a speech/language pathologist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, preschool teacher, a psychologist, and a dental and vision professional.

Your child may be screened at one of four locations of our Child Find Screenings; Wamego (August & March), Westmoreland (September), Alma (December), St. George (January). They could also come in your home, his/her preschool, or the Early Childhood Center.

Allow 1 hour for your appointment. The total time required will vary according to the needs of your child and that particular day.

There will be a parent waiting area. Bring something to pass the time while you child is being tested.

A summary will be given to you prior to your departure. The Preschool Special Education team (teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, and social workers) will review screening information and make team recommendations. Recommendations may include, but are not limited to, no further intervention needed, or needs to be rescreened, or needs to be referred for a comprehensive evaluation.

If your child’s performance falls within age- appropriate limits, no further follow-up would be suggested.

If a child has some difficulty in one or more areas, we may give ideas of things to do at home. We will sometimes suggest that we check in with you at a later date to monitor progress.

If your child has more significant difficulty in one or more areas, further evaluation may be suggested. If further evaluation is recommended, it can be completed by our team. As with the screening, there is no charge for this.

The purpose of the evaluation is to see if your child shows a significant delay in their development that would impact their ability to learn and determine if they may be eligible to receive school district services.

The peer model program (applies to USD 320 and USD 329 only) provides an opportunity for typically developing children to be integrated into our Early Childhood Special Education classrooms to serve as role models for our children with special needs. Peer model students provide peer interactions; demonstrate play skills, and model appropriate language and behavior for children with special needs while in the classroom setting.

There are a limited number of peer model positions. Completing the Child Find screening does not guarantee placement in the preschool.

Peer models will be selected for the next school year at the Child Find in March for Wamego and Wabaunsee school districts.