There is no manual to tell us what to do next when our child is first identified as having a special need. The first thing to do is trust your instinct. If your doctor has repeatedly shared with you concerns about your child not meeting a milestone or you have noticed that your child is struggling with a skill, discuss this with your child's physician. Be open and honest. Tell your child's physician what you have observed at home and any concerns that you may have. If your child's physician is acknowledging that your child is struggling with a milestone/skill, ask him/her who you can contact to have your child assessed. If your physician is not in agreement with you, and you still believe that your son/daughter may be struggling with a milestone/skill; you can still have him/her assessed.
Community Parent Resource Centers
It is important to know that each state has a community parent resource center that may be contacted to find out who you need to contact in order to have your son or daughter assessed. Many states have area educational agencies that have staff that would provide an assessment that would assess multiple areas of the child's development (i.e. gross motor, fine motor, language, social, etc.). It is important to know that these assessments are conducted at no cost to the parents, and that the assessment is a great tool to use to determine whether or not the child needs further services. After the assessment is conducted, you will be contacted and notified of the results of your child's assessment.
If you are in need of locating your community parent resource center, use the following website "Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers."
Community Parent Resource Centers
It is important to know that each state has a community parent resource center that may be contacted to find out who you need to contact in order to have your son or daughter assessed. Many states have area educational agencies that have staff that would provide an assessment that would assess multiple areas of the child's development (i.e. gross motor, fine motor, language, social, etc.). It is important to know that these assessments are conducted at no cost to the parents, and that the assessment is a great tool to use to determine whether or not the child needs further services. After the assessment is conducted, you will be contacted and notified of the results of your child's assessment.
If you are in need of locating your community parent resource center, use the following website "Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers."
