Child Outreach is a FREE developmental screening program offered through the Pawtucket School Department in conjunction with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). It is recommended that you have your child screened every year, at the ages of 3, 4 and 5 years old, prior to Kindergarten. Much like the well child visit with your pediatrician, children should participate in the screening annually as activities are based upon what is appropriate for your child’s age and experiences at the time of screening. Because children learn rapidly during these early years, each screening provides families with an up-to-date check on their child’s development.

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A developmental screening is a brief assessment in five areas of development. It is designed to help families understand how their child is progressing and how they can continue to support their child’s development. The screening is also designed to determine whether a child may experience a challenge which may interfere with the acquisition of knowledge or skills.  From birth to age three, children are screened regularly by their pediatricians/physicians. Local school districts provide yearly developmental screening through Child Outreach for 3, 4 and 5 year old children, prior to Kindergarten.

Children are screened by professionals who are trained in the administration of all aspects of the developmental screening. Children are screened at various locations in their community or at our Childhood Outreach office located at 286 Main Street. 

HEARING: Otoacoustic Emission Test – A small earphone or probe is placed in the ear. The probe puts sound into the ear and measures the ear’s response to the sounds. Your child does not need to do or say anything during this screening. The person doing the screening can see the results on the monitor screen. LEARN MORE

VISION: Lea Symbols – American Academy of Pediatric Preschool Vision Screening Guidelines. LEARN MORE

SPEECH/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:  The Preschool Language Scales / 5th Edition is a standardized screening tool which screens development in the areas of understanding language, expressive language, articulation, social/emotional communication, fluency and voice.

GENERAL DEVELOPMENT:  The Early Screening Inventory/Revised is a standardized screening tool which samples performance in the areas of language, cognition, visual and auditory perception as well as fine and gross motor coordination.

SOCIAL – EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE -2) provides information, based on parent report, about a child’s self-regulation, compliance, communication, adaptive behaviors, autonomy, affect, and interaction with people.

DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS (DLL):  Young children who are learning their home language while simultaneously learning English are Dual Language Learners. The purpose of Child Outreach screening is to get a snapshot of a child’s overall development and is not used to assess a child’s ability to use the English Language in the presence of two languages. Child Outreach makes every effort to screen children who are Dual Language Learners in both developing languages. Communication with families in their dominant language, with assistance from interpreters is an important part of the screening. 

Childhood Outreach Screening Request