Screening Success Decisions Guide

A successful screening and monitoring program is supported by thorough and comprehensive planning.

Use this checklist to make sure you consider key questions as you plan your program.

Key questions to answer

Who is the leader of your screening program? Who will staff turn to with questions or issues?

What staff will be involved in the screening program? What are their responsibilities? Who will prepare the materials needed for screening? Who will score the screening tool? Who will share results with parents?

What training will staff receive? Will the screening program leader train staff? Will staff receive training from your local technical assistance providers?

Who will you screen?

Will you screen all children in the 3-year-old class? Will you screen all children within the tri-county area? When will you not screen a child (e.g., if a child has an identified disability)?

What screening tool will you use? Will you use a developmental screening tool and a social-emotional screening tool?

When will you screen?

Will you screen at a particular age, (e.g., 12 months), at a time of the year (e.g., September), or within a given time period after program entry (e.g., 90 days after program entry)?

How often will you screen?

Will you screen infants and toddlers more frequently than older children?

How will you administer the screening tool? Will parents complete the screening tool electronically or on paper? Will providers also complete a questionnaire for the child?

How will you manage the screening program? Will you use an online management system to track upcoming screenings and store results? Will you create a tracking sheet?

How will you introduce the screening program to parents? Will you hold a parent information night? Will you send a letter home?

What will you do if parents do not return the screening tool? How will you follow up with parents?

How will you share screening results with parents? Will you discuss results in a face-to-face parent conference? Will you mail letters if the results are typical?

How will you continue to support children’s healthy development in between screenings? Will you create a bulletin board with developmental milestone information? Will you share learning activities with parents?

What are your referral criteria? Do the referral criteria differ for different ages? Are the referral criteria the same for girls and boys?

Where will you refer children?

Are the referral agencies different for infants/toddlers and children older than 3 years of age? What community resources, such as parenting groups, exist for parents?

How will you record screening results? Will you enter results into an online management system? Will you file paper questionnaires or only the score sheet?

Will you share results with health care providers or other community partners? Will you share results electronically? Will you give parents a paper copy to share with other professionals?

How will you evaluate the success of your program? Will you solicit parent feedback on the screening program? Will you analyze screening completion rates and referral rates after a period of time?