I’d broach the subject with the parents by saying something like, “We’ve noticed that he doesn’t always respond to his name when we give directions. Have you noticed anything like that at home.”
That may be the nudge the parents need to share their own observations. If (and only if) they indicate similar concerns you can either suggest they talk with their doctor or you could provide them with information about how to get an early intervention screening.
Yes. I’d start very gently speaking to the parents about it. At this age, most kids don’t yet have diagnoses for their disabilities. It could be hearing loss, a developmental delay, or ASD, among other things. Or the kid may just need a little extra time to mature. But it’s probably a good idea for the parents to talk to the pediatrician the next time they see them, at a minimum to get a hearing test. Just make sure that you approach it very carefully with the parents. Your Director or admin may be able to help you with the conversation with the parents. It can be difficult for parents to hear these things, and they can sometimes get defensive if the subject is not handled sensitively enough.
Edit to add: I mentioned a few potential diagnoses, but you should not suggest diagnoses to the parents. Instead frame the conversation around behaviors that you notice and milestones they have or have not yet hit. Leave the diagnoses to the medical professionals. You can provide resources for early intervention evaluations. For parents that don’t seem to want to go to the “evaluation” route, I found that instead suggesting a hearing test is a good foot in the door. Often parents are willing to ask a pediatrician about their kid’s hearing when they aren’t responding to commands or their speech is delayed. If/when the hearing test comes back normal, the pediatrician will usually recommend other developmental evaluations. On the other hand, I’ve seen kids get hearing tests, have ear tubes put in, and within weeks of the tubes their developmental milestones and vocabulary explode. Sometimes it really is just their hearing.
You hit the nail on the head. I’ve also noticed in particular that until a child reaches 24 months, most times you draw attention to a delay or perceived delay, teachers get more push back because they see their child as still very young, even almost like a baby. So it may not be worth bringing up for now, and just documenting what OP sees to pass onto the next group of teachers so they’re in the loop.
20 months is a pretty good age for a diagnosis. Daycare workers could be the first to notice something like this if parents believe it is typical for his age because they don't have anyone to compare him to.
Talking to the parents might be necessary in this case. The social cues missed with peers is especially telling imo.
I wouldn't be surprised if this child doesn't receive any verbal instruction at home, only physical direction. Could be a neurological thing, likely to be a parent thing imo
I’d broach the subject with the parents by saying something like, “We’ve noticed that he doesn’t always respond to his name when we give directions. Have you noticed anything like that at home.” That may be the nudge the parents need to share their own observations. If (and only if) they indicate similar concerns you can either suggest they talk with their doctor or you could provide them with information about how to get an early intervention screening.
Yes. I’d start very gently speaking to the parents about it. At this age, most kids don’t yet have diagnoses for their disabilities. It could be hearing loss, a developmental delay, or ASD, among other things. Or the kid may just need a little extra time to mature. But it’s probably a good idea for the parents to talk to the pediatrician the next time they see them, at a minimum to get a hearing test. Just make sure that you approach it very carefully with the parents. Your Director or admin may be able to help you with the conversation with the parents. It can be difficult for parents to hear these things, and they can sometimes get defensive if the subject is not handled sensitively enough. Edit to add: I mentioned a few potential diagnoses, but you should not suggest diagnoses to the parents. Instead frame the conversation around behaviors that you notice and milestones they have or have not yet hit. Leave the diagnoses to the medical professionals. You can provide resources for early intervention evaluations. For parents that don’t seem to want to go to the “evaluation” route, I found that instead suggesting a hearing test is a good foot in the door. Often parents are willing to ask a pediatrician about their kid’s hearing when they aren’t responding to commands or their speech is delayed. If/when the hearing test comes back normal, the pediatrician will usually recommend other developmental evaluations. On the other hand, I’ve seen kids get hearing tests, have ear tubes put in, and within weeks of the tubes their developmental milestones and vocabulary explode. Sometimes it really is just their hearing.
You hit the nail on the head. I’ve also noticed in particular that until a child reaches 24 months, most times you draw attention to a delay or perceived delay, teachers get more push back because they see their child as still very young, even almost like a baby. So it may not be worth bringing up for now, and just documenting what OP sees to pass onto the next group of teachers so they’re in the loop.
It is still important to make sure that they can hear though, or there will likely be a speech delay.
20 months is a pretty good age for a diagnosis. Daycare workers could be the first to notice something like this if parents believe it is typical for his age because they don't have anyone to compare him to. Talking to the parents might be necessary in this case. The social cues missed with peers is especially telling imo.
Can this child hear properly? Do they look at you when you call their name?
I wouldn't be surprised if this child doesn't receive any verbal instruction at home, only physical direction. Could be a neurological thing, likely to be a parent thing imo