Early childhood development (พัฒนาการ เด็ก ปฐมวัย, which is the term in Thai) is the process used to determine if a child needs extra help for his or her development.

Preparing for an Assessment

It is advisable to make a list of questions before you meet a child development specialist.

So What do I Expect from my Child’s Assessment?

A social worker will likely come to your home to talk to you during your child’s assessment. They will usually ask you for information about your child, for example, eating habits, communication and interaction skills, sleeping patterns, and whether you look after any other children.

The assessment has to be based on your child’s needs and your needs, not just what services they have available.

You can contact your local authority for information about the timescales and the process generally, or to book an assessment. Also, your paediatrician, GP, community nurse, health visitor or a voluntary organisation are there to help you contact social services if you can’t.

Always feel free to seek clarification about the focus of the child assessment. The assessment professional must be willing to listen to your views and also share any relevant information with you. It is important to have a conversation about how to meet your child’s development needs.

After an Assessment

After contacting a local authority and their service is needed, they should come up with a plan that assigns a role to each professional with when and where to help your child.

In some instances, the local authority may decide that there is no need for their services, and ultimately close your case with no further action taken. However, if this decision isn’t convincing to you, you can use the local authority’s complaints procedure to seek for a change.