There may be differences observed related to family and caregiver involvement in screening and assessment across cultures, especially comparing individualistic to collectivist cultures. In some cultures, family members may be more concerned about the possibility of social stigma or prejudice against their child if they are found to have a developmental disability, which may lead to a delayed screening or entry into school. Also, in collectivist cultures, the needs of the family are prioritized above any one individual, which could affect efforts to access services or resources for the child.

To effectively share developmental screening processes and information with a variety of families and caregivers, I suggest first focusing on building a trusting and respectful relationship with each family. Engage in frequent, formal and informal, bi-directional communication to help families understand that you want to know and best support their child. Be culturally sensitive to families’ beliefs and preferences about their child’s care and education. Finally, ask for their ongoing feedback, even involving them in your program’s assessment processes when appropriate.

2. Different cultures have different ideas/customs of family support and involvement.  Different cultures may have different ideas of the mother’s role vs. the father’s role in school/screening/assessment/health care processes.  Different cultures may have different perspectives on development especially when it comes to independence. Different cultures also have different ideas of daily routines and schedules. 

3. Although I think that virtual meetings have been super helpful in adding more opportunities to work with families, I think initial developmental screenings and assessment information need to be shared in person in the families primary language.  They need to be scheduled with plenty of time for families to get accurate information, ask questions and express any concerns; no one wants to feel rushed when trying to handle important and possibly new information.  Families should be provided copies of information about developmental screenings, directions of what is going to happen, timelines, and actual results in writing prior to meetings if possible and again during meetings so families can have opportunities to preview and review again later.  Families should be able to contact team members when they have concerns.  My student’s families come to me after the screening and evaluation processes.  I try to build trust with the families so they know that we are playing on the same team and I am willing to do anything that is needed to support their child AND their family through all these changes and new information.  It can be a scary process for families.

Singapore, there is still a stigma of being ‘labeled’ and the idea of developmental screening can be daunting for some families. At the same time, there are families who are more forthcoming and would request for screening, to move to intervention. I think this is factual across all cultures. With continuous information about screening and assessment it is safe to say that there will be increased family and caregiver involvement. 

Educators play a more integral part in building partnerships with parents. Schools can be involved to send reminders/information flyers for parents to attend screening and assessment processes. At the same time, have workshop or talks to help parents with understand the screening tool better. Educators can be given access to the health booklet in Singapore and copies of the assessment tool used in US can be made available in preschools.

2.      Every family brings specific values, beliefs and assumptions about child development. Although most cultures have mothers as the primary caregiver of a child, their cultural beliefs impact their willingness to get their child screened or assessed due to social stigma or the perception that their child’s “weaknesses” might reflect on their parenting skills. 

3.      I believe that the focus is on building a good rapport with each family at the beginning so that they are more open to sharing about their child’s development and concerns. It is important to give families and caregivers the opportunity to talk about their child and ask questions so that they have a better understanding of the processes. Reassure them with the goals of the assessment, provide them with the appropriate resources on the “next steps” to support their child and have ongoing feedback to guide the families through the process as it could be overwhelming and daunting for them.

2.       Family and caregiver involvement in screenings and assessments across cultures because the values, beliefs, and views on screening and assessments will different. Depending on how assessments and screenings are viewed will greatly impact the importance placed on getting a child screened. Also, personal past experiences weigh heavily on involvement as well. 

3.       In order to share developmental screening processes and information with a variety of families and caregivers, we must first begin building a positive relationship with them. I have found in my own experiences that the more welcome and heard the families and caregivers feel, the more open they are to hearing the teacher’s thoughts and suggestions. 

Providers need to be aware of and sensitive to how different cultures view disability and how caregivers view themselves relative to educators and providers. Both of these perspectives will influence how families and caregivers engage in the screening and assessment process. Some may be fearful of the process, withdrawn, or even resistant to the process, depending on how their culture views disability.

A provider may acknowledge their own cultural background and point out how it may differ from that of the family they are working with. By doing so, you can open the conversation of learning what priorities, expectations, routines and norms a family has that may be different from one’s own.

2) Some cultures may have extended family that are more involved than other cultures.  Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins may reside with the family and may want to be included in the screening/assessment process.  Some of the extended family that are a part of the household, may have questions about the validity and necessity of the screening assessment process.    They may feel that this process is not necessary, and that the child may grow out of it, without the need for screening and assessment.

3) Provide information (i.e., websites, handouts, etc.) that is disseminated in the families’ home language (including ASL).  Allow families to have access to an interpreter to orally share the developmental screening process information.  Some families may not be able to read and having access to information in a verbal approach rather than a printed approach may allow all families to access the information.

For families/caregivers to be better involved in the screening and assessment process, we should begin with establishing relationships with them built on trust, open communication, and mutual respect.  We should invest in educating parents and caregivers by keeping them informed not only on general information and choices but a deeper understanding of the benefits to the child and the rights of parents.  Their knowledge will empower them to contribute and collaborate. There should be an active collaboration with a team of professionals including parents and caregivers who should be involved from the beginning and throughout the process.  Parents’ and caregivers’ involvement should include providing valuable information about the child. 

2. Differences related to family and caregiver involvement in screening and assessment across cultures.

Different cultures vary in their perception of caregivers’ roles, acceptance of developmental progress, and social stigma to assessment and early intervention. Having open, bi-directional communication will help understand cultural differences and how to approach such differences in a positive way. 

3. Strategies to effectively share developmental screening process and information with a variety of families and caregivers

We should, as much as possible, work around the schedule of families and caregivers.  Giving them several options for sharing the information like paper or electronic copies and providing translations, if needed, will improve their access. We should invest in technology to accommodate their schedule like virtual meetings if in-person meetings would be a challenge for them.  Having translators so the parents can better understand and communicate any questions or concerns are important considerations as well. 

 

2. Some differences that might be seen across cultures regarding family and caregiver involvement could be trust. In some cultures, families put their full trust that screenings and assessments will help their child be their best self. However, in other cultures screening and assessments of any sort may be negatively stigmatized. In research from Acar et al. (2021), in Asian culture families valued unity, cohesion, and avoidance of shame and “losing face” that could have influenced the family’s view on screening/assessments towards a child’s disability. 

 

3. The best strategy would be to create a trusting relationship with family. While in person meetings can be difficult- planning well in advance would provide the family and team members plenty of time to schedule a meeting. In the meantime, families can receive any information in their language of choice to review the screening process and to think of any questions or clarifications they would need. In doing so, the families and team members can use their meeting efficiently so everyone feels confident that the necessary information shared and the next steps are agreed upon by all parties present. 

-I am noticing that a lot of other countries view screenings and assessments as a medical to-do. In the US, educators play a huge role in assessments and screenings. 

Different cultural beliefs play a role in this process as well. Some cultures are very private and not willing to openly share specific information and details. Other cultures don’t have the background knowledge or know where to start to feel confident enough to participate or voice concerns and share observations. 

-I think the best way to effectively share developmental screening processes and information with families and caregivers is to do so in a way that it does not overwhelm them. It is good to have open dialogue, clear communication, and exhibit grace. I think we must be honest but also highlight some positive things too. We can provide informative handouts and share frequently asked questions in the beginning of the process, so they have background knowledge right from the start. We can also give the families and caregivers the opportunity to express the best ways in which they like to receive information and cater to their needs and preferences that way. We can present the information without jargon and/or personal bias, and we can check for understanding regularly as we navigate through the different components. I think a key strategy would be to help the family understand that while the process/information may be long and/or difficult, we are in this together and the team is working in the best interest of the child.

 

I believe that we need to make sure that families understand how the screening and assessments work. The more parents understand what and how the screening tools work, the better they can support and give more accurate information. Encourage the families that they are part of their child’s educational development. Communicating with the families you are able to learn more about the child and their areas of need. As the decision of moving forward with an evaluation should be decided as a team, a parent’s involvement an important piece of the process. 

 

Differences related to family and caregiver involvement in screening and assessment across culture.

 

 I feel that culture plays a big part in family and caregivers’ involvement in the screening process. A family’s language and belief can determine their participation and involvement during the screening. Many parents work and depend on the caregivers to complete the information needed for their child as they don’t have the time to fully participate in the process. If the caregiver has different beliefs or speak a different language from the family, this can determine a different outcome when completing the screening forms. I have also witness, where a mother and father have two different opinions on how their child is developing. Being aware that this is a possibility and using all data can help when considering moving forward with an evaluation.  

 

Strategies to effectively share developmental screening process and information with a variety of families and caregivers

 

Building a relationship with the families that you are working with is key. Helping them to understand that the information that you are sharing with them is to help with strategies for their child’s development. Using resources such as websites, books, articles, and developmental flyers can continue to educate the family on milestones and developmental goals their child should be reaching, Creating the space for families to ask questions and not feel that they are to blame builds a relationship for open communication. This will make the screening process somewhat easier as you can refer back to the developmental milestones strategies as you are sharing screening scores and moving through the process. 

 

 

-Listening and learning about assessments and screenings can be overwhelming for families. There are so many different methods and we don't want to bombard families with too much information. We should help educate them but find ways where we can simplify the information we are giving and use terms they are familiar with. This makes it more manageable for them to hear and process. I think transparency from the beginning is vital and to really listen to their concerns, goals and observations of their own child.

-In our own culture, language plays a huge role in screenings and assessments. I have observed assessments take place in the school district to only be conducted in English rather than the native language of the child. That does not set a child up for success or correctly identifies any delays. I don't think families are necessarily aware of this. I have also noticed here in the US, it is usually the nuclear family that works through screenings and assessments. I haven't experienced in my career that the extended family participates.

-The overload on information can be a lot to comprehend, therefore offering printed materials to outline the process would be helpful. Open lines of communication is also key and being sensitive to the family/ child needs.