FL DCF Child Care Behavioral Observation and Screening (BOSR) 2019 Updated for 2023/2024

Child care professionals observe and screen children so they can - Answer 1. Facilitate the growth and development of every child in their program, 2. Detect early signs of developmental delay or disability, 3. Identify signs of child abuse or neglect. Observation and screening describe - Answer how early childhood professionals use certain methods to help them pay attention to the behavior and development of children under their care. Observation - Answer is an ongoing process in which child care professionals recognize and document identifiable developmental milestones as they appear, using tools such as checklists, anecdotal records, and running records. Screening - Answer is an ongoing process in which child care professionals use specialized observation and documentation tools to identify, document, and monitor typical development or possible developmental delay. The three main reasons child care programs observe and screen children are to - Answer 1. To foster growth and development in every child, 2. Detect early signs of developmental delay or disability, and 3. Identify signs of child abuse and neglect. These processes are also used to support - Answer -quality curriculum development; -help parents support growth and development at home; -allow timely referral for early intervention services; and -provide a common reference point and basis for interaction between parents, program staff, and other professionals. Observation and screening foster growth and development in every child by - Answer determining the child's developmental-age level and by using the information obtained from observation and screening to develop inside and outside learning spaces, personal care routines, communication and interaction practices, learning activities, and program policies and procedures. Observation and screening can detect early signs of developmental delay or disability when - Answer child care staff members are trained to identify and document signs of typical or atypical growth and development. Since staff members see children throughout the day and have training in child growth and development, they may be in the best position to spot the earliest signs of atypical development. Therefore, staff may be in the best position to help the child and family. Child care personnel should not - Answer attempt to diagnose delay or disability. Instead, they should document typical and atypical patterns of development and take appropriate action as defined by their program's written policies and procedures. Observation and screening can help child care professionals identify the signs of child abuse and neglect by - Answer reporting any suspected abuse or neglect and can do so anonymously. However, people who work with children are required by law to identify themselves when they report suspected child abuse or neglect. Failure to report suspected abuse or neglect is a felony of the third degree in Florida. Observation and screening support quality curriculum development by - Answer focusing learning goals and objectives, lesson plans, and teaching strategies on the development and implementation of activities that strengthen the child's skills. The best child care professionals can recognize what each child knows and can do, and uses this information to help increase skills, abilities, and knowledge. Observation and screening can help parents support their child's growth and development at home by - Answer increasing the volume and quality of information available to them. When quality information is combined with the professional services provided by a child care program, a child's outcomes improve, both at the program and at home. Observation and screening allow - Answer timely referral for intervention. The earlier signs of developmental delay or disability are identified, the better the outcome for the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends - Answer that all children be screened for developmental delays and disabilities during regular well-child doctor visits at 9 months, 18 months, and 24 or 30 months. However, observation of a child can begin at birth. Observation and screening provide an opportunity for communication between parents, staff, and child development specialists because - Answer they include written evidence of a child's growth and development over time. Written records collected by a child care professional can be - Answer critical to a team of people who are helping a child with developmental delay or disability. Child care programs observe and screen children because these processes support - Answer quality curriculum development; help parents support growth and development at home; allow timely referral for early intervention services; and provide a common reference point and basis for interaction between parents, program staff, and other professionals. During an observation session, a trained adult - Answer monitors a child as he or she demonstrates identified skills or abilities within a developmental domain. For example, a staff member observing children's growth and development in the Physical Development domain may document an infant's ability to roll over, a toddler's ability to walk, a preschooler's ability to kick a ball, and a school-age child's ability to use a swing. Observation sessions should be performed by - Answer a familiar person in the child's natural environment at a time when he or she is at his or her best. The goal is to allow the observer to - Answer document the child's skills and abilities fairly and objectively. In a quality program, results are carefully documented following - Answer set guidelines and written procedures. Methods of documentation include checklists, anecdotal records, and running records. Observation can: - Answer -Facilitate curriculum development -Guide developmentally appropriate practice -Assist in providing individualized care -Help share information with parents and others -Reveal signs of abuse and neglect KEY POINT on Observation - Answer Observation helps a program function at its best over several operational and functional areas. Screening is an ongoing process conducted by child care providers and others to - Answer verify that a child is developing typically or to identify early signs of delay or disability. During a screening session, trained adults - Answer identify and measure specific skills and abilities, as indicated by a screening instrument. Screening is conducted with the understanding that it is only one source of information that can help adults better understand a child's behavior and development; the results of any single screen are never used in isolation. Screening takes place recurrently, using an instrument that is proven to be - Answer valid, accurate, and reliable. Family members - Answer are always involved in screening, sometimes as active participants. Every effort is made to ensure that screening is culturally relevant to the child being screened and his or her family. Results are shared with adult members of the family in a way that allows for thought and follow-up. This part of the process is never rushed. Like observation, screening should take place - Answer in the child's natural environment with familiar people, and be performed when he or she is at his or her best. Again, the goal is to document the child's skills and abilities fairly and objectively. Benefits of Screening: - Answer -Identify specific areas of concern -Determine if further assessment or evaluation may be necessary -Provide a basis for referral -Empower parents with information to help them make decisions -Present a basis for necessary and ongoing communication with parents and others KEY POINT of Screening - Answer Screening determines if children are developing typically, identifies early signs of delay or disability, and provides a basis for referral. Sometimes, the results of a program's observation and screening processes indicate a possible developmental delay or disability. When this happens, - Answer child care providers talk to parents so that parents can contact organizations that will provide further screening and assessment. Assessment is a process whereby an agency or organization - Answer gathers and reviews multiple sources of information about a child's suspected or confirmed developmental delay or disability, and uses that information to improve a child's outcomes. Child Find - Answer Child care professionals in Florida refer families to this. (Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource System) Benefits of Assessment - Answer -Empower parents to help their child grow and develop -Improve a family's ability to navigate a complex system of services -Result in a referral for evaluation so eligible children may receive benefits they are entitled to under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which is a federal law IDEA - Answer Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Benefits for child - Answer Assessment can lead to an evaluation, which may qualify the child for benefits under IDEA. According to Children's Medical Services (CMS), assessment refers to - Answer "...ongoing procedures used by appropriate qualified personnel throughout the period of a child's eligibility to identify the following: (A) the child's unique strengths and needs and the services appropriate to meet those needs, and (B) the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family and the supports and services necessary to enhance the family's capacity to meet the developmental needs of their infant or toddler with a disability." CMS defines evaluation as - Answer "...procedures used by appropriate qualified personnel to determine a child's initial and continuing eligibility for Early Steps, consistent with the definition of "infants and toddlers with disabilities" in §303.16, including determining the status of the child in each of the developmental areas in 34 CFR §303.322 (c)(3)(ii). To summarize, evaluation is a process that - Answer determines a child's eligibility for federal, state, and local programs and services. Assessment - Answer is a process whereby an agency or organization gathers and reviews multiple sources of information about a child's suspected or confirmed developmental delay or disability and uses that information to improve a child's outcomes. Evaluation - Answer is a process that determines a child's eligibility for federal, state, and local programs and services. Your role as a child care professional is - Answer observation, screening, and referral. In observation and screening processes, your main responsibilities are to - Answer document the child's skills and abilities fairly, objectively, and accurately; and work with families to refer children for further assessment and evaluation. Remember, if information causes you to suspect child abuse or neglect, you must report it. During an observation period, you will - Answer monitor a child as he or she demonstrates identified skills or abilities within a developmental domain or domains. You should conduct the screening in the child's natural environment when he or she is at his or her best. After the observation, you will document the child's file following guidelines presented in this course and your employer's written procedures. During a screening, you will - Answer identify and measure a child's specific skills and abilities using a screening instrument. While you are working, bear in mind two things: - Answer -one, your results are only one source of information that will be used to better understand a child's behavior and development; and -two, it is critical to involve the child's family in the process. Sometimes, the results of a program's observation and screening processes - Answer will indicate a possible developmental delay or disability. When this happens, you or a designated coworker will talk to the child's parents and assist them in making an appropriate referral. Remember, the referral for assessment will play a role in empowering parents to help their child - Answer grow and develop, improving a family's ability to navigate a complex system of services, and ensuring eligible children receive benefits they are entitled to by federal law. Referrals - Answer Child care professionals observe and screen children, and should work with families to make referrals. 4 interrelated processes - Answer Observation, screening, assessment, and evaluation are interrelated processes. Systematic process - Answer Child care programs should support families by observing and screening children through an ongoing, systematic process. Child care professionals do not assess or evaluate children; - Answer however, they do provide information that is useful during the processes. It is vital that this information is as complete and accurate as possible, or a child with a developmental delay or disability could be overlooked. Child care professionals should work with the families to make referrals to - Answer the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource System's Child Find for assessment and other services. Children's Medical Services performs - Answer performs assessment and evaluation processes to determine eligibility for programs and services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). OBSERVATION - Answer A trained adult watches a child for a half hour as she interacts with other children in the program. The adult documents the child's typical growth and development in the Social and Emotional Developmental Domain in the child's file, writes a note to the parents, and uses the information to plan future activities. SCREENING - Answer A trained adult watches a child for a half hour as she interacts with other children in the program. The adult documents the child's atypical growth and development as called for in a tool's Social and Emotional Developmental Domain section, and makes plans to speak to a supervisor about a possible developmental delay or disability in this domain. ASSESSMENT - Answer After reading a child's file, a trained adult asks the child to perform specific tasks. The information gained indicates the child may have a developmental delay or disability and could benefit from early intervention. The adult refers the family to a medical professional for diagnosis. EVALUATION - Answer After reading a child's file, a trained adult asks the child to perform specific tasks. The adult confirms the child has a developmental disability and therefore qualifies for programs and services, by federal law. Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource System's Child Find - Answer Families use this for assessment, which may result in them being referred to Children's Medical Services for evaluation of a delay or disability. Disabilities are diagnosed by - Answer medical professionals in collaboration with Children's Medical Services. Child care professionals do not confirm or diagnose a suspicion of a delay. Instead, they use - Answer developmental milestone charts to help them, and families, better understand a child's growth and development. And refer families to the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource System's Child Find for assessment Medical Services - Answer performs assessment and evaluation processes to determine eligibility for programs and services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Guidelines for Observers and Screeners - Answer Be informed Be objective and accurate Be honest and fair Be focused Best Practice #1 - Answer Review appropriate general information immediately prior to an observation or screening session. This includes: Developmental domains and milestones Information about the child's abilities and unique needs Best Practice #2 - Answer Study the child's file. Look at: The results of previous observation and screening sessions Notes recorded by staff members All documentation provided by family members Samples of the child's work Use developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) when observing and screening a child to: Show sensitivity toward chronological, individual, social, and cultural experiences Help him/her behave naturally during an observation or screening session DAP - Answer developmentally appropriate practice By keeping developmentally appropriate practice in mind, - Answer the caregiver will remember to focus on the child's age, individual characteristics, and the social and cultural environment in which the child lives. Best Practice #3 - Answer Know how to use the observation or screening tool before attempting to use it. Be sure to: Read the instructions before the session begins Attend observation and screening training opportunities Keep up with changes in policy and procedure Never interrupt a screening session to read an instruction or ask a question about the tool Typical/atypical - Answer Effective child care professionals know the typical and atypical patterns of child growth and development. They are familiar with the child and understand the program's observation and screening policies and tools. A professional never interrupts a screening session - Answer to read an instruction or ask a question about the tool, because that can distract the child. Effective child care professionals create documentation that can be used by others to - Answer help children grow and develop to their full potential. They ensure observation and screening results are - Answer objective and can be measured, observed, and established as fact. They verify results do not - Answer reflect subjective feelings, set aside personal beliefs and consider only facts, document all relevant information, and make sure documentation is correct and complete. Accurate, effective child care professionals make sure documentation - Answer includes all relevant information, even if it does not seem to support earlier documentation. Finally, they review the screening tool to - Answer ensure it is free of errors. Objective - Answer terms are factual and set aside personal beliefs, values, opinions, and biases. "six years of age" "left-handed" "obese" Subjective - Answer terms are opinion based and may be different, depending on an individual's point of view. "nice" "happy" "pretty" The Halo Effect - Answer is a judgment error we make when we allow an overall impression of a person to influence the way we interpret his or her actions. Effective child care professionals - Answer set aside personal beliefs and consider only facts, not only during observation and screening sessions, but at all times during working hours. This does not mean they abandon their own culture, traditions, and values when caring for children; instead, it means they use developmentally appropriate practice for each child, follow the law, and honor a professional code of ethics. Document all relevant information. - Answer Relevancy is determined by the observation or screening tool. Behavior not relevant to the current session may be documented later in another type of record. Ensure documentation is correct and complete. - Answer Complete documentation as soon as possible Proofread for content errors Check for writing and mathematical errors Wait two or three days, then repeat the process Documentation - Answer Objective, accurate child care professionals create documentation coworkers and other professionals can use to help children grow and develop to their full potentialial The third guideline is to be honest and fair. Effective child care professionals observe children, conduct screenings, and document all relevant observations in good faith. They: - Answer -Document children's development over time -Observe or screen when children are at their best -Conduct sessions in the child's natural setting with familiar staff -Never observe or screen with the intent of confirming a suspicion