AS SPACE is sought for preschoolers requiring special educational programs, it has never been more important to ensure that children requiring these services are identified as early as possible ( “Special needs students on rise; City schools strain to make room for preschoolers,’’ Page A1, Feb. 26).
The earlier we can detect and address concerns among young children, the greater the likelihood they will not be first identified with concerns when they enter kindergarten. This past fiscal year, 3,994 children were screened by United Way-funded Boston-based agencies. More than 1,000 of these children were referred to specialists for further evaluation. This is a practice we encourage our agencies to adopt.
There remain far too many preschoolers who do not receive screening. This year, working with our partner agencies, we aim to screen more than 5,000 preschoolers.
However, as more young children are screened we need to ensure there are sufficient resources and services in the community to meet their needs. By expanding the practice of screening and ensuring regular development assessments, we can use our findings to better inform policy and meet the needs of young children sooner.
Peg Sprague
Senior vice president
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Boston