Home Site map and contact information.

Early Childhood Curriculum An explanation of the curriculum and daily routine.

Early Childhood Programs An explanation of programs, including Head Start, Title I, Birth to Three, and Special Education.

Child Find A description of the preschool/developmental screening and evaluation.

Developmental Milestones What to look for at different stages of development.

What is Early Childhood Screening?

Screening is a free check of a child's developmental areas, including large muscle development, eye-hand coordination (fine motor skills), communication, concepts, personal-social skills, self-help skills, vision, hearing, height, and weight.  The purpose of the screen is to identify any factors that may interfere with a child's learning, growth, and development.  The screening is also provided to help parents identify their child's strength's and weaknesses and provide home suggestions.

During screening, children may stack small blocks, cut with a scissors, draw, count, name colors, jump, and have fun!  Following the screen, a trained screener will talk with you about your child’s results.  You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about your child’s development.  You may be given home suggestions, referred on for further testing, or be scheduled to have skills rechecked at a later date.  The screening process takes approximately 45 minutes.

Who is eligible to be screened?

Any child, birth to age five, whose family resides within the Sioux Falls School District boundaries, is eligible to participate in the screening process.

Where can I go for screening?

The Early Childhood screening office is located in the Central Services building at 1101 N. Western Avenue.  The phone number is 367-8488.

Appointments are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Night appointments are also available on a regular basis.

Infants and toddlers (birth to three) are usually screened in their home or in their child care center.  A teacher sets up an appointment to come and visit in their natural environment with a parent present.

Preschools and daycares are invited to request developmental screenings for the children they care for, provided that parents sign a consent form and there are at least six children to be screened.  The screenings can be done at their site or location. 

What is a multi-disciplinary evaluation?

Following a developmental screening, the teacher may have recommended a more in-depth evaluation to determine strengths and needs.  This evaluation involves an interview with a school nurse to obtain a medical history and complete a developmental checklist.  An Early Childhood Educator will assess your child’s general development, motor skills, prereading, premath, and prewriting skills (if appropriate).  A Speech Pathologist will assess your child’s ability to understand and use language, as well as speech clarity.  If recommended by the Screening or Evaluation team, your child may also see a School Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, and/or Physical Therapist.

The next step would involve meeting with a team to discuss the results of the evaluation with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) committee.  The parent(s) and the team will determine if your child is eligible for special education services.  It is your decision to accept/deny the options the team outlines.  If your child is eligible for services and you choose to accept them, he/she will be enrolled in the program at that time.