Hope this is okay to ask. I've been lurking for a few weeks but haven't seen the answer to this.
My daughter will be two next month. She had a mini word explosion around 15 months but hasn't progressed much since and still says less than 15 words with no two word phrases. She also hasn't added any new words in almost 6 months. EI will be coming to our house tomorrow to do an evaluation. We are most concerned about speech but have some other concerns as well.
What should I expect tomorrow? How long does the evaluation typically last? Thanks for any feedback!
Re: EI evaluation tomorrow--what should I expect?
For DD's evaluation we had a ST and a DT. It was later determined that she needed to be evaluated by an OT.
They sat in her playroom with me and watched her while asking me questions. They worked with her on a few things to see if she could complete some tasks and how she went about it. ie: stacking blocks, putting things in a cup and taking them out.
They mostly listened to a lot of what I said. It is important to be honest with them because they take what you say very seriously in their evaluation.
Based on what I said and what DD did they said she need speech once a week and DT every other week and that she should be evaluated by OT. We then sat down and came up with goals for the therapy and what we wanted out of the therapy and what was important to work on.
I got a ton of paperwork in the mail a few days later that outlined what we had talked about and showed where DD scored on scales of development.
It was very laid back. ( I was so nervous though)
That is very helpful, thanks! How long were they there?
I am about to throw up I am so nervous. lol
Okay, an hour sounds about right. I'm dreading tomorrow so much but am looking forward to answers. Thanks again!
Try not to be too nervous! Be honest with your answers so they have the most complete picture and can provide the right kind of help should your child qualify for services.
I've dealt with EI in 4 states and it is all basically the same. Either one or more therapists will come to your home (or wherever you've agreed to). They will talk to you, ask you some questions, and play with your child. The play is actually purposeful. They are looking to see what the child can do, what they can't do, etc. They may do a quick hearing test also (this was done in one state I had their services). You may or may not have paperwork to complete prior to the meeting. If so, you'll be going over that.
Good luck tomorrow!
My DS was evaluated at a similar age and with a similar history (though perhaps a few more words). I was so anxious about the evaluation but it wasn't bad.
The one thing I'll say is that the evaluators cannot engage your child and need to be as objective as possible. So while they'll play with her and will interact, it won't be the same as when (hopefully) she gets services. So just keep that in mind.
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