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As a parent every day brings an opportunity to make a difference in your child’s future. Parents, more so than
anyone else, know their child and what is “normal” for them.
Screening children
for developmental delays is an important aspect of a child’s well-being that is often overlooked. A developmental delay
may present as slow progress towards childhood milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking, speaking, or learning.
An average of 16% of children have a disability such as speech-language impairments, mental retardation, learning disabilities,
and emotional/behavioral disturbances. Many disabilities are subtle and children with them may appear to be developing
normally. This lack of detection may delay the possibilities of early intervention. Studies have shown that children
who participate in early intervention programs prior to starting kindergarten are more likely to graduate from high school,
hold jobs, live independently, avoid teen pregnancy, delinquency, and violent crime. Children with a learning disability
usually have a normal range of intelligence.
Cedar County Public Health offers, at no cost,
Brigance Developmental Screenings for children age birth through 5 years 11 months.
The primary
purpose of the screen is to obtain a broad sampling of a child’s skills and behaviors to identify any child who should
be referred for a more comprehensive evaluation to determine the existence of a disability or a need for special placement.
Screenings are performed by a Cedar County Public Health Nurse. Screens are currently
being conducted in interested daycares, preschools, and at Cedar County WIC clinics every month. Screens are available
at the Cedar County Public Health office by appointment for any individual who is interested. Each test takes approximately
15 minutes to complete and involves many play-like activities that children enjoy. Any abnormal results are referred
on to Grant Wood AEA or Mississippi Bend AEA based on location in Cedar County. The referrals and follow up evaluations
are provided at no expense to you. Please take a moment to call Cedar County Public Health with any questions or to
schedule a free screen for your child. Please call 563-886-2226 and ask for Lee or Tonya.
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