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Friday, February 26, 2021 - Prairie Post West - 27 Best of the Best


FCSS uses development screen tools to get kids off on the right foot


BY GARRETT SIMMONS FCSS COMMUNICATIONS The early years of a child’s life are crucial in


terms of a developmental standpoint. But as a parent, how do you know your child is on the right path developmentally? Family and Community Support Services utilizes


a developmental-screening tool, the Ages and Stag- es Questionnaires, to help gather critical informa- tion and ensure children are off to the right start. “From birth to about five years old, we know


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a child’s brain develops typically faster at this point than any other time in their life, and so the screening is kind of a quick check to make sure their child is developing on schedule,” said Kim Fehr, a Family Support Worker for FCSS. “The results can show us the child’s strengths and areas that we can maybe support further.” On the FCSS website, parents can find the ASQ-3 questionnaire, which covers important areas such as speech, physical ability, social skills and problem-solving skills, along with the ASQ:SE-2 questionnaire, that focuses on behav- ior and social-emotional development. Once the questionaries are filled out, FCSS analyzes the results, follows up with the fami- ly and determines what level of support, if any, is recommended for the child. “If we’re seeing a concern in speech or commu- nication, we would refer them on to Children's Allied Health Services,” said Janet Fekete, a Family Support Worker for FCSS. Referrals to occupational therapists through


Children’s Allied Health Services would be made in cases when delays are identified with gross motor or fine motor skills, for example. Children with so- cial-emotional needs would be referred to Men- tal Health Services. FCSS staff can also provide simple, fun activities that parents can do to support their child’s devel- opment, and to boost their parental skills. “Sometimes, it is just that the parent didn’t think to try that with their child at that stage, and some- times it’s just this reminder of, ‘oh, I never thought to try that activity with my child,’ and once they start doing that and start practicing that skill, their child can catch on quite quickly,” said Petra DeBow, Family Services manager for FCSS. “One example is in regard to screening fine motor skills. Around age 2-3 they ask you if their child can cut with scissors. And what we find there often is


simply can’t do the things they haven’t tried. “The screening tool is also a educational for


parents to kind of give them ideas they haven’t thought of,” said DeBow. The questionaries offer parents reassurance, and an opportunity to deal with potential issues at an early stage in their child’s development. “It’s very important for them to know where


they’re at,” said Fehr. “It’s a great tool for us as parents to put our own minds at ease if there was a concern, and if there’s not a concern, that’s great. It’s easier to correct earlier as opposed to later.” The early-intervention piece is critical in the process, DeBow added.


“The earlier a child can get intervention, the easier it is for them to get caught up to their peers,” she said. “That goes back to brain de- velopment and those critical years from zero to five, that if you can get them support within that timeframe, that’s absolutely best.” The screening tool is also available for par- ents looking to enter their children into early-ed- ucation programs. “Pre-schools often use the ASQ screening as an engagement tool with parents when they are signing up, and that is to get that early inter- vention in place and further assessment if that is needed, so when the child is starting school, they are ready to have all the resources in place for that child that is needed,” said DeBow. She added those partnerships with pre- schools not only assist FCSS in reaching more parents, but also helps create a database of sum- maries that can be shared with school divisions, databases which are secure and confidential. In the end, DeBow added the screening proce-


dure puts parents in charge of the process, with a focus on getting children any help they may need. “The parent is the expert,” she said. “It is a par- ent-driven tool and it revolves around their con- versations with their child. We’re not coming into screen them and say they’re failing – that's not the approach. It’s a strength-based approach and then we see what resources can be put in. It’s not a pass or fail, and the parent is in the driver’s seat.” To access the ASQ forms, visit the FCSS web- site at https://fcss.ca/program/32 For more information, please contact Petra DeBow at 403-795-3328.


that the child has never had the opportunity to try scissors. That kind of helps the parent go, ‘oh, may- be I should put that in my child’s repertoire.’ ” She added often times, children being screened


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