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trytobearunner34 03:57 AM 01-14-2020
I provide care for a 2 year old (will be three in June) who has virtually no words. He imitates speech but says fewer than a dozen words on his own (and only a couple that communicate what he wants or needs) . He has strong receptive language skills so clearly understands a lot of what is going on around him.
He often has meltdowns/temper tantrums which can be quite challenging at times. I feel they stem from an inability to communicate whereas his parents are treating them as a disciplinary issue. Other than these meltdowns he has zero behavioral issues. His parents are unwilling to pursue any possible services for speech. I am not comfortable giving him a timeout for meltdowns since he can’t communicate. So we are at this impasse.
I have decided I am going to bite my tongue about the language needs (because it is apparently stressing their family out), try to work though the meltdowns as best I can and if I can’t take it any more I will give them four weeks notice that I am no longer to meet his needs (this is double the notice stated in my contract). Before I proceed I guess I want to see if others who provide home care feel I am being unreasonable. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
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Cat Herder 05:14 AM 01-14-2020
Here is the 24 month ASQ pdf. It may help you better assess where he is developmentally. Have his parents complete one, too, for comparison.https://chip.wv.gov/SiteCollectionDo...%20Set%20B.pdf
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trytobearunner34 06:03 AM 01-14-2020
Thank you for this valuable resource. My key developmental concern is communication and based on the work I have done with him he scores a 25 which puts him right at the cutoff for 24 months (he is 31 months). That said I will try #1 and #4 again to see if it was maybe just his mood when I have attempted things like this in the past. At a glance I suspect he would fall within normal range for all others (though I am going to give the problem solving section a go in the coming days).

Having his parents fill it out is a great suggestion. Unfortunately one of his parents has repeatedly said they do not believe in assessment or evaluation so even though I suspect they have filled something like this out at the pediatricians office at his two year appointment in June, it would add fuel to the fire if I asked them to complete one at this time.

Thank you again for your help!
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Cat Herder 06:37 AM 01-14-2020
This is from a pediatric office that requires all patients to fill them out for appointments, really rare and an awesome free resource. https://steeplechasepedi.com/patient...uestionnaires/

There are newer, updated ones, but these still work well to give you an idea of where you are without the cost (some states offer them free, too, through a grant). I'd download them pretty quick, they tend to get removed once people find them. I don't think they are old enough for imminent domain.
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Cat Herder 06:56 AM 01-14-2020
You are very welcome. I do these with all of my DCK's every three months. It is a normal part of my program, so no one really gives me hard time about it. We watch the flutuations together and it allows us to plan activities to work on the needs we see. I do have a permission form, too, that is required by my state that explains it really well to parents. This is the template, copy/paste.

"The first five years of life are very important to your child because this time sets the stage for success in school and later life. During infancy and early childhood, many experiences should be gained and many skills learned. It is important to ensure that each child’s development is proceeding without problem during this period; therefore, I am interested in helping you monitor your child’s growth and development.

______________ Preschool uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, (ASQ-TM) to assist families in monitoring the development of their children, providing an opportunity to view how children are coming along developmentally and behaviorally, and to provide parents suggestions about addressing any difficulties children are experiencing. The five areas of development that are addressed by the ASQ questionnaire are communication, gross motor, fine motor, personal/social and problem solving. The questionnaires, which are filled out by family members at home, ask questions about some things your child can and cannot do.

The questionnaires are completed and turned in within the first 60 days of school enrollment and every 3 months thereafter. If a completed questionnaire is not completed by a family member and sent back into school within this time period then the screening will be completed by a member of the teaching staff. The administrator of __________ will score the questionnaires and information related to the screening results will be confidential and shared only with parents/guardians.

The screening process is an important first step of ongoing observations and assessment. Screening does not provide enough information to identify children as having a developmental problem or needing special services. Screening determines if further evaluation may be necessary. Early intervention is key in helping students achieve their potential, as a young child’s learning is at its peak during the earliest years. Based on the results of the screening, it is always in the child’s best interest to obtain a more in-depth evaluation, if family members or staff have a concern.

The screening process promotes and supports parents’ and teachers’ understanding of a child’s health, development, and learning. Any help that can be given early is more effective than help given later. If the completed questionnaire indicates that your child is developing without problems, we will send a letter stating that your child’s development appears typical. If there are concerns about your child, we will contact you directly.

Referrals are recommended if performance on the ASQ indicates a possible developmental delay. The administrator of any preschool, a teacher, or a parent/guardian can make referrals. A parent/guardian has the right to refuse to accept a referral for assistance if the child is identified as having a possible delay. The recommended referral criteria are based on the following:

- refer a child whose score in one or more areas is below the established cutoff point (i.e.2 standard deviations below the mean) for that questionnaire interval-follow up with a child whose score in a particular area is close to the cut-off point.

- follow up with a child whose scores are above the cutoff points for each area but whose parent has indicated concern in the overall section of the questionnaire.

Referrals for children ages birth to 3 years of age, if needed, are made within 90 days of completed screening to:

1. Primary Health Care Provider, 2. _____________

Referrals for children ages 3 years of age and older, if needed, are made within 90 days of completed screening to both:

1. Primary Health Care Provider, 2. Supervisor of Special Services of school district where child resides.



* I have read the description of this free screening process and give my consent for participation.

Parent/Guardian’s signature_______________________ Date__________________

Child’s Name________________________ Child’s Birthdate __________________

Child’s Primary Physician__________________

You have been given two copies of this screening information and consent. Please sign and return one and keep one for your records. Thanks in advance."
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Ariana 11:04 AM 01-14-2020
It is really hard when parents do not get help for their kids. I also do assessments as part of my program and I would fill one out as CH has suggested above.
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trytobearunner34 03:39 AM 01-15-2020
Wow! Thanks so much. Poor little guy scored only 5 points in communication for his age range.

Will definitely be adding assessment to my program moving forward.
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Tags:asq, milestones
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