Katie Yarnell, a DPT student, conducts a developmental screening for a child at the YMCA day care center in Findlay.

Students in The University of Findlay’s doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program gained hands-on experience this fall by working to fulfill a need in the Findlay community.                  

The project, conducted by members of an advanced pediatrics class taught by Joyce Lammers, physical therapy instructor, took place the first weekend in November. Lammers and her class traveled to the day care center at the YMCA of Findlay to conduct developmental screenings for children.                  

According to Lammers, the need for developmental screenings is great. Developmental screenings are required as stated in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which maintains that each state must have a system of “Child Find” to identify children with disabilities and help the family find and access necessary services. In Ohio, the agency responsible for addressing the need is called Help Me Grow, which conducts regularly scheduled screenings for the community at large.                  

“In years past, Help Me Grow had the staff and funding to provide additional developmental screenings at community day care settings,” said Lammers. “With recent budget cuts from the state and federal government, they are unable to go to each individual day care as they have in the past. With the content of material in the advanced pediatrics class, I felt that it would be an ideal fit to use our expertise to continue those individual day care screenings.”                  

Developmental screening is done by using a checklist that identifies key components of child development, including motor, language, cognition and social-emotional development. Though different tools can be used, the class utilized a checklist called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.  

“A developmental screening is not intended to diagnose a child, but rather, to use parent observations and developmental milestones as a means to identify concrete concerns about a child’s development,” said Lammers. “If there were concerns with a child, we noted that and made suggestions to discuss the concerns with the child’s physician. (We also) suggested that the family contact Help Me Grow for a comprehensive developmental assessment.”

Lammers says the project is valuable, not only for the families and organizations like the YMCA and Help Me Grow, but also for the students.

“This project provided the students real-life experience by using the tool (questionnaire) and interacting with children, parents and day care professionals,” said Lammers. “They got real experience observing children to better understand typical and atypical development.”

Katie Yarnell, DPT student, says she gained experience and was able to apply what she has learned in the classroom through the project.

“The most valuable thing I gained from participating in this service learning project was being able to take what we learned in the classroom and from lectures and apply it to a professional practice situation. We could see the application of our skills as we went through the project,” said Yarnell. “Whenever a student can go out and participate in their field of study and interact with others, I feel that, as a student, those are the activities we remember the most.”

In the future, Lammers says this project will be conducted by other advanced pediatrics classes from the University. “During spring semester, we are going to a different day care to provide this same service,” said Lammers.

“We will then do this on a yearly basis … as we become more familiar with the process we hope to add more day care settings.  As long as there is a need, we will continue to provide this service.”

By Hannah Wurm