Little Pals Child Care

When a child is enrolled in Little Pals Child Care, her/his parents can decide whether or not they'd like an evaluation to be done. This evaluation can assist parents in understanding their child's development and current level of functioning. Depending on the age of the child, the evaluation can take a week, or longer, to complete. A report will be completed approximately 10 days after the evaluation, unless unforseen difficulties come up.

Prior to the initial assessment, the Director of Little Pals will review the scope of the evaluation with the parents. The results are absolutely confidential and will be shared only with the parents. If a child shows any developmental delays, I can teach the parents skill building exercises, based on the specific area(s) of delay their child is experiencing. Many children, who receive consistent and skillful intervention, can catch up with their peers, if their delay is not severe. A consultation with the child's pediatrician may be included in the recommendations.

The areas of development covered by the evaluation are:

1. language
2. cognitive
3. gross motor skills
4. fine motor skills
5. self-help
6. social

The assessment tool I use for these evaluations delineates monthly milestones. There is a broad range of "normal" or average. For example, many children speak in 2 word sentences for several months, beginning around 20 months of age. However, if a child uses only one word sentences, that does not automatically mean they have a language or cognitive delay. There are over half a dozen other language "markers" for a child who is 20 months old. All of a child's sounds, from using her/his voice, while pointing at something, to using nouns, verbs and modifiers, are taken into consideration.

Parents who choose to have their child's development assessed should plan on spending 45 minutes to an hour with me to discuss the results.

Following the evaluation, parents can request quarterly updates on their child's progress; a brief report will be prepared at the end of every 3 month period. Parents should plan to spend approximately half an hour with me, to review these quarterly reports.

The fee for this service can vary. An initial assessment can cost between $100 and $150, depending on the individual challenges presented. Quarterly updates cost a minimum of $50 each. These are approximate costs. Depending on your child, prices can vary.