Childhood screening today

St. Regis children will have an opportunity Wednesday to get a free early childhood screening at the St. Regis School.

The screening, which has been organized by the Sanders County Educational Services Cooperative, is designed to test motor, speech and hearing skills in children from birth to five years old. It is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Regis School.

“If the parents have any concerns they can bring their child in.  The service is provided free of charge,” said Dianne Zimmerman with the SCESC. 

The Child Development Center from Missoula will also be offering a free screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder for children between the ages of 18 months and five years of age.  Parents with children who are not babbling, gesturing, or pointing, have no single word or two-word phrases, have lost language skills, have lost social skills and/or fail to make eye contact with people should consider the Autism Spectrum Disorder screening.

It takes around 45 minutes and requires a parental signoff. A family member who is familiar with the involved child must be present for the screening.

“The screenings are just a way to find the little guys out there that may need help,” Zimmerman said.

The screenings are open to any child birth to 5 within the St. Regis School District and can provide parents with a general idea of where there children are developmentally.

Zimmerman said that they can make recommendations for further screenings if necessary.

The screenings are part of a series of screenings being offered to parents in the St. Regis, Noxon, Thompson Falls, Hot Springs and Trout Creek school districts.

The SCESC works with participating member school districts to provide special education and related services to children within those districts. 

Walk-ins are welcome at the St. Regis screening. For more information of the SCESC call their office in Thompson Falls at 827-3007.