- Chester County Intermediate Unit
- Preschool Special Education
- Early Warning Signs
Special Education
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The following benchmarks are offered to assist parents in identifying a problem in their child's development as early as possible. CCIU can help. Request a free screening with a professional educator who can evaluate your child's needs.
Is your child having trouble?
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Your child may have trouble TALKING if he or she:
- cannot say "mama" and "dada" by age 1
- cannot say the names of a few toys and people by age 2
- is not talking in three or four-word sentences by age 3
- is not understood by people outside the family by age 4
- does not make up a short story and tell it by age 5
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Your child may have trouble HEARING if he or she:
- does not turn to face the source of strange sounds or voices by six months of age
- talks in a very loud or very soft voice
- does not respond if you call from another room
- turns the same ear toward a sound he or she wishes to hear
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Your child may have trouble SEEING if he or she:
- is often unable to locate and pick up small objects
- frequently rubs his or her eyes or complains that they hurt
- holds his or her head in a strained or awkward position (tilts head to either side - thrusts head forward or backward) when trying to look at a particular person or object
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Your child may have trouble THINKING if he or she:
- does not react to his/her name when called by age 1
- is unable to identify hair, eyes, ears, nose and mouth by pointing to them by age 2
- does not understand simple stories by age 3
- does not give reasonable answers to such questions as "What do you do when you are sleepy?" or "What do you do when you are hungry?" by age 4
- does not understand the meaning of the words "today," "tomorrow," "yesterday" by age 5
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Your child may have trouble PLAYING if he or she:
- does not play games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake" or wave "bye-bye" by age 1
- does not imitate parents doing routine household chores by age 2 to 3
- does not enjoy playing alone with toys, pots, and pans by age 3
- does not play group games such as hide-and-seek, tag, or ball with other children by age 4
- does not share and take turns by age 5
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Your child may have trouble MOVING if he or she:
- is unable to sit up without support by age 1
- cannot walk without help by age 2
- does not walk up and down steps by age 3
- is unable to balance on one foot for a short time by age 4
- cannot throw a ball overhand and catch a large ball bounced by age 5
Activities to Try With Your Preschooler
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Activities
- Encourage your preschooler to tell you a story. Together, make a picture of the story.
- Help your child make a puppet using socks or paper bags, and put on a puppet show.
- Give your preschoolers a simple chore, like setting a table, dusting a shelf, making a bed. Praise all efforts!
- Cut pictures out of magazines to make different types of theme “books,” such as animals, food, shapes or colors.
- Set up an obstacle course for your preschooler.
- Give your preschooler a pail of water and a large paintbrush to “paint the sidewalk,” the fence or the side of the house.
- Play table games that encourage turn taking, such as Candyland or Chutes and Ladders.
- Give two simple directions, such as “Get a spoon,” then “Put the spoon on the table.” Gradually increase to three directions at a time, then four.
*If your child struggles to play with you and follow directions on any of the above activities, it may be time to evaluate his/her development. Call our team for your free pre-screening at the number listed below.
