School clinic is set Friday
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 01:03 p.m., April 10, 2008
Updated 01:03 p.m., April 10, 2008
Parents with questions about their young children’s development can go to the Mary Herbert Learning Center on Friday for answers.
The “Count Your Kid In” clinic, done twice yearly in the Emporia school district, will begin at 9 a.m. and run until about 4 p.m. at the learning center, 1700 West Seventh Ave.
The clinic is run through the Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative offices at Mary Herbert.
FHSEC Director Elizabeth McCoy said that the clinics are opportunities for parents to bring in children for screenings, if there are concerns about possible developmental delays.
“For example, if they’re concerned about the child’s speech, then we would try to provide services as soon as possible,” McCoy said. “We would do that early intervention piece.”
Friday’s clinic already has five babies and 14 toddlers scheduled in for assessment, with the youngest being a baby 20 months old, McCoy said.
“If parents come in and just have some concerns, they can share those with the teachers and then we’ll do some assessments,” she said. “If we find that there is a delay, then we will offer our help.”
The clinic will have staff that includes a physical therapist, occupational therapist, vision specialist, teachers, specialists in motor development and infant-toddler development.
“They all group together, and the children go from station to station to be basically assessed,” McCoy said.
Parents who need only to learn whether their children are walking and talking at levels appropriate to their age also may come to the clinic “just to make sure that everything’s on track,” she said.
Assessments at the clinic are offered at no charge.
“Count Your Kid In” clinics also are done in Chase, Morris, Coffey and Greenwood counties, which all are in the Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative district. Children from any of those counties also may be brought to Emporia for assessment on Friday.