Infant & Toddler Screening & Evaluation

Screenings and evaluations are different ways to determine how young children are developing. Screenings may be done by different providers. The special education evaluation is only performed by the school district and is used to determine if a child is eligible for Infant and Toddler Intervention and Preschool Special Education services.

Developmental Screening

Developmental screening is used to see if children are at risk for cognitive, motor, communication and language, or social and emotional delays. These delays may interfere with expected growth, learning and development.

Social and emotional screening is part of the developmental screening process. It focuses on the early identification of possible delays in the expected development of a child’s ability to:

• Express and regulate emotions
• Form close and secure relationships
• Explore his/her environment and learn

In Minnesota, developmental screenings are performed by various providers, such as:

• Local school districts
• Head Start programs
• Clinics or health care providers
• Local public health agencies as a part of a home visiting program or the Follow Along Program

Early Childhood Screening

Early Childhood Screening (ECS) is required by the State of Minnesota before children start kindergarten. Some important aspects of ECS include:

• ECS is a quick, free check on your child’s health, growth, vision, hearing, speech, immunizations, overall development and social/emotional progress.
• Ideally, a child is screened between the ages of 3 and 4, to allow at least one year of free services, if needed, for speech or other developmental or concerns.
• ECS promotes positive child health and developmental outcomes through referrals to a clinic or to other learning opportunities such as Head Start, School Readiness, Early Childhood Family Education, Early Learning Scholarships, Early Childhood Special Education, speech services and other community resources.       
• To arrange ECS, you may call your local school district or to find the district in which you live you may check: 1-651-582-8412 or visit the MDE website.
• Districts may accept copies of comparable screenings from Head Start, Public Health (Child and Teen Check Ups) or a Private Health Care Provider.

Special Education Evaluations

A special education evaluation is different than a developmental screening. Special education evaluations:

• Are completed by a multidisciplinary team and used to determine eligibility for Infant and Toddler Intervention and Preschool Special Education services.
• Can only be completed by the school district.
• May be completed after a developmental screening for children under age three. If an infant or toddler is referred through Help Me Grow and a developmental screening has not already been done, the school district may complete a screening. Depending on the results, the school may then complete a special education evaluation to see if the child is eligible for Infant and Toddler Intervention or Preschool Special Education services.
• May be completed after the school’s Early Childhood Screening for children over age three. For preschool children over age three who are referred through Help Me Grow and who have not had a developmental screening or an Early Childhood Screening, the school district may have the child go through Early Childhood Screening before determining if a special education evaluation is needed.