Developmental Evaluations with Infants and Preschool Children
Evaluations for young children are much different than older children. The testing activities are playful and involve the use of toys and books that are similar to what you might have at home! The difference is that the clinician is presenting them with a very specific request, or with the hope of eliciting a specific response from your child. In other words, the infant or preschool child will not be playing on their own in their own way for most of the evaluation.
For infants, the presence of a parent is necessary. The infant sits on your lap so they feel safe and secure. The preschool child may need you to sit nearby in the testing room. For preschool children who feel comfortable with separation, they may not mind if a parent sits in a nearby waiting room. Age, experience, and child temperament will help you determine the best choice.
Very young children have a brief attention span. Most activities will be short. A preschool child will benefit from frequent breaks during longer tasks. This allows us to get their best abilities.
Most typically developing young children are highly motivated by verbal praise and positive social interaction, and they get a lot of this during testing! A sticker chart for preschool children helps create structure. They earn stickers with each task completed and can count down the number of tasks. A small prize or treat at the end of testing can be very helpful as well.
Before the day of the evaluation, help your infant or preschool child get a good night’s rest. Make sure they eat breakfast and dress in layers so they are comfortable. A transition object can be helpful, such as a stuffed animal or blanket (as long as this is not too distracting).
Let the clinician know any special interests your young child has, and this may be incorporated into the evaluation if possible (e.g., train stickers, free play with trains during a break, etc). Also let your clinician know about any triggers for stress. You are the expert for your child!
Contact us to schedule your own Developmental Evaluation here: https://pedneurocenter.com/contact/
