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How to start: pediatric screening, Child Find and school evaluations in Harford County
Summary
Local specialists recommend caregivers first raise concerns with pediatricians (who can screen and refer), and they described school-based routes such as Child Find, IFSP and IEP that families can use to secure services.
Sarah Sinclair advised caregivers to begin by sharing concerns with their pediatrician because pediatricians have screening tools and can refer for medical evaluations or to specialists. “The 1st step is to share with the pediatrician,” she said, noting that pediatric screening can lead to medical referrals or to school-based evaluation routes.
Both guests described school-based pathways in Harford County: early services through Child Find and IFSPs can provide speech, occupational and physical therapies at home and later transition into IEP-based supports in school. Shannon Holly recounted that the hospital connected her family to Child Find and early intervention after a hospitalization and that those services were critical in getting speech and other therapies in place before school entry.
They named local clinic examples used for evaluations, including Kennedy Krieger and Mount Washington, and noted private practitioners also perform evaluations. The guests emphasized that medical and educational evaluations are distinct: one assesses medical diagnosis and habilitative services, the other determines an educational disability to access specialized instruction through the school system.
