I have been evaluating my kids and giving reports of the evaluations to parents for many years. But soon we will be required to use one of the screening tools the state has decided on. However, basically, I made up my own screening tool many years ago. Mine is more in depth and is closer to Brigance. But, while I'm researching Brigance, it seems like you will continually have to buy more items from them.

After talking with the specialist and telling her about how I created my own evaluation tests/activities (apparently 'screening tools') years ago and have been doing what the state is going to start requiring of us for many years on my own already, but more in depth, she suggested that I use the easier, faster, less work involved, and cheaper Ages and Stages as the required screening tool and then continue doing my own thing if I would like to continue evaluating them more in depth than Ages and Stages does. Also, Ages and Stages allows you to make copies of their evaluation sheets. So you buy the screening tool one time and then there's never additional fees.

So, that's what I'm going to do... Use Ages and Stages and then also continue using the more in depth 'screening' method that I created for myself years ago.

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