On the Path of Collaboration:Community-based
Developmental Screening in Southwestern Alberta
Marian Biggins Early Intervention Specialist
Palliser Regional School Division
Cheryl Skaien Early Childhood Coordinator
Lethbridge Family Centre (Parent Link Centre)
Mark Moland Developmental Screening Coordinator
Chinook Health
The Partners
The Context
How it Began• An overview of developmental screening
during the last several years
RCMP Barracks in Fort MacLeod (1874)
The Focus of the Collaboration
Format: What does it look like?
What were the results?• 28 screening sessions were held in 20
communities across the region during March and April 2007
• 703 children completed ASQ
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60
80
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200
Lethbridge #51/Holy Spirit Palliser/Holy Spirit Horizon/Holy Spirit Westw inds Livingstone/Holy Spirit
2005
2006
2007
Referrals by Year
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20
40
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Speech LangaugePathology
Occupational Therapy Physiotherapy Infant PreschoolDevelopment Education
Audiology
2006
2007
Engaging Families
• The process of planning together
• What we learned from the 2006 survey
• Interesting examples of creative engagement
How did you hear about this event?
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Preschool informed Stay and Play
Preschool registrant Parents as Teachers
CHR Newsletter Call from school
School Called Kindergarten Teacher
Stay and Play Phone call
School registration PAT and Preschool
Parents as Teachers School Phone call
PAT Family Hub regis Pre school registrant Sign outside Huntsville
Hub and school Phone call
Teacher Phoned School Teacher
Internet Kinder Staff
Billboard Call from CHR staff Preschool teacher
Register for prescho Kinder Reg
Daycare Teacher
PPP Telephoned
Stay & Play
School Registration Stay and Play
Phone call Hiway billboard Phoned school
Daughter-in-law Preschool Registrati
Preschool Regis
works at school wifes work
Preschool Reg Leisure Giude Family Hub
Stay and Play Stay and Play School Staff
Preschool Teach.Ph
Stay & Play
We talk of building bridges
High Level Bridge in Lethbridge, Alberta
“Getting into the Gap”
Writing on Stone Provincial Park
Not Always Easy
• Different mandates
• Different levels of resources
• Time to coordinate
• Confidentiallity/Inforamation sharing
• Decision making and accountability
Benefits of Collaboration
• Parents can access a continuum of services and are able to make personal connections with service providers
• Creativity – taking the best and sharing it across the region
• Sum is greater than the whole
Our Experience – Parent Comments
• There is certainly more that just myself to rely on to help my child become an invaluable part of the community by starting him off on the right path. Thank U.
• Learning what areas need development prior to starting pre-k (and tools to improve those areas).
• Great handouts. Concern for children very evident.
• I found out my son could draw a person. I didn’t know he could. But at the screening he was asked to draw a person and he did (wow). I was so happy.
Our Experience – Partner Comments
• I felt there were huge benefits to all involved by doing this as a community partnership. There was great networking and connections made between all.
(Parent Link Centre Staff)
• Parents feel more comfortable in approaching us to say, “Yes, my child does need some help” or “who do you know that could help?” (Educator)
• I got to make contact with 30 caregivers, some of whom I reassured that their children's fine motor skills were not only age-appropriate but also strong; others whom I gave information on areas of concern AND the impact that these areas might have on refinement of fine motor skills and what they could do about it now. (Children’s CARE Services Occupational Therapist)
Our journey continues…Our journey continues…