Screening
The Bear Creek School’s Heath Services team supports your student’s academic success by promoting health in the school setting. One way that we provide care for your student is by performing free yearly health screenings on campus, which serve as a useful tool in identifying children in need of further examination, diagnosis, or treatment by a specialist.
Why is screening important?
Hearing
The ability to communicate effectively impacts the well-being of a child, in terms of education, physical and social development. Early identification and intervention of hearing loss is critical in supporting speech/language development and full participation in the learning process. Even mild hearing loses may be educationally and medically significant. Screening is provided annually for students in grades K – 3, 5, and 7 in January.
Vision
Vision problems are common amongst school aged children and adolescents. If vision problems are not detected and treated early, they can lead to permanent vision loss and learning difficulties. When a child has an undiagnosed vision problem, it makes it much harder for them to succeed in school, sports, social situations, and in life. Screening is provided for students annually in grades K – 3, 5, and 7 in January.
Speech
The prevalence of speech and language disorders is highest among children ages 3 – 6, which can impact their ability to communicate effectively and may lead to difficulties in reading and writing, social interactions, and overall academic success. Screening students at an early age provides parents with professional speech recommendations that can kick start early intervention, leading to better outcomes.
In 2023 – 2024, Bear Creek is piloting a partnership with an independent Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) to provide free screening for P5 and kindergarten students. The screening includes a brief 10 – 15-minute individual assessment of a student’s speech and articulation skills to identify those who may benefit from a full evaluation but does not confirm or deny the presence of a speech or language disorder. If your child is currently under the care of a speech therapist or if you would prefer to decline speech screening, please contact the Lea Hysom (lea.hysom@tbcs.org).
How will the results be shared?
- If your child passes the screening, you will not be notified by your school nurse. You are welcome to contact the nurse to learn the screening findings.
- If your child does not pass the screening, the school nurse will contact you to share the results and may make a recommendation for further evaluation by a specialist.
School screening provides only a snapshot of how your child performs on the day the screening was administered and is not a substitute for a complete exam.
If you have any questions about the school screening programs, please contact Lea Hysom, BSN, RN, at lea.hysom@tbcs.org.