Is my child ok ?
October is here and most of our children have been attending pre-school or nursery for almost a month now. For most of them, this would be their first experience in a educational setting, which can be a bit overwhelming.
Starting preschool, nursery or even school can be overwhelming for both the child and the parent and many of us parents are wondering is my child ok? Are her or his language skills age appropriate, is he communicating his needs? These thoughts can be even more overwhelming when combined with feedback from teachers who are concerned about your child's attention skills, or inability to follow a routine.
Let's start with the facts:
Fact 1:
It takes a child 4 to 6 weeks to settle into a routine at a new environment. So let's support our children by being consistent with the attending school/preschool.
Fact 2:
A child with delayed attention skills and communication skills will take longer than 6 weeks to settle in his new environment.
Fact 3:
A child with delayed attention and communication skills will not just 'get better' at school, instead he will need the support of his teacher, mother and therapist to develop his skills and succeed in at school.
Fact 4:
Having a structured routine at home and reducing screen time will support your child's development and transition to school. So make sure your child follows an easy home and bed time routine to help him get ready for the next day.
Fact 5:
If your 'gut' feeling tells you something is not right, then trust it! There's nothing stronger the a mothers intuition. Speak to your child's teacher about your concerns and seek advice from a specialist.
We have created an online screening assessment for parents to use at home. At the end of the assessment, our system will give you feedback on wether there are any alarming signs in your child's development and wether or not you should take the next step of consulting a specialist.
Little Village Online Screening Assessment - click to get started!