22 Month Assessment - What do they do?

[Mum2Toby]

Hi folks,

DS is due (overdue) his 22 mth assessment. I didn't even think they got on until later on but the letter arrived a couple of weeks ago.

What is it for? What do they do? I want to have a wee check myself with ds just for my own curiosity.

Is it hearing, sight etc?

The HV checks their speech, "picking up" ability, gets them to build a wee tower with bricks, watches them walk/run, weighs them and just genrally observes the child. She should also give you a chance to raise any concerns you might have.

My ds still wasn't talking (ds wouldn't even say one of his few words of the time, "cat", even when presented with a picture of a Siamese. However, as I told her that I hadn't talked until I was three and therefore wasn't bothered, she left it up to me to refer myslelf back again if I felt it necessary.

Depends on your area and hv. some just chat with you. Some do something more formal- tower building with bricks, threading laces, vocab checks. Some areas used to do a CHAT test (checklist for autism in toddlers) but I think they scrapped that becase they were picking up the children who had problems but then had no services to offer them anyway.

We had two checks for ds1. Both times HV chatted to me and observed him. She "passed" him as he had already been refered to SALT. So it wasn't very good at picking up the problems we had ahead!! Maybe it was and she just wasn't saying anything.

Thanks people. DS seems to have quite a varied vocab at the moment. A mixture between a Scottish and couse accent! Hilarious!

.. meant Scouse not couse!

Mum2Toby - Do you have one of those Red Progress Books? I was issued one when both mine were born despite having moved areas in between times - these used to list the things that the hv would be looking for and had a page for the parent to fill in too.

Just found this on the web - Might be useful

1. 8 Week Check:

a) Weight and length
b) Heart and femoral pulses
c) Hips
d) Testes
e) Eyes - following and fixation / red reflex
f) Head control
g) Head circumference
h) Behaviour including smiling
i) Congenital abnormalities e.g. palate

2. 7-9 Months:

a) Distraction test for hearing development
b) Vision including squint
c) Hips
d) Testes
e) Motor
f) Head circumference
g) Social behaviour

3. 20-24 Months:

a) Parental concerns re vision, hearing and behaviour
b) Head circumference
c) Motor development
d) Hand and eye co-ordination
e) Speech

4. 3-4 Years:

a) Height and weight
b) Parental concerns re behaviour, hearing, development
c) Motor development
d) Behaviour

Jaybee - that's great thanks. And I do have one of those red books, forgot all about it!

Mine's yellow! Same thing though.

DS passed with flying colours despite turning into the most uncooperative beast from hell!

My hv gave me a book with lots of pictures of everyday objects in them and watched me ask dd where each object was (she let me do it because I obviously would have more idea of what dd does and doesn't know). She also asked her to point out parts of her body, as well as the other things people have listed below.