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Learning Screenings

Returning for a second year at the MPE Conference

We offer learning screenings ($10 donation per screening to MPE Unique Learners) as a conference add-on for parents and students. Screenings empower homeschool families to understand their child’s needs and find resources to help them in learning success.

Who is eligible for screenings?

All MPE members are eligible to register. The MPE conference is free with MPE membership which is $50 until April 1 when the price increases to $75 for the conference.

Families may register for multiple slots.

What is a screening?

A screening is a short survey of a child to determine whether a more in-depth evaluation is recommended.  A screening is a general overview and is not diagnostic.

Which screenings will be offered?

The following screenings will be offered:

Speech (K-5th grade)

Speech screenings are a crucial early step in identifying communication challenges ensuring that children receive the support they need to succeed. These screenings help detect potential speech or language delays, speech disorders, and other issues that may affect a person’s ability to communicate effectively. By detecting concerns early, speech screenings enable timely interventions, which can significantly improve a child’s speech development, academic performance, and social interactions.  This is a great opportunity to connect with a professional about your child’s communication. Parents will complete a brief form regarding speech concerns and your child will participate in a 10-15 minute screening with the speech pathologist. The SLP will provide resources and a recommendation for further steps if necessary.

Provider

Deana Lesher, OT and Owner at Pediatric Connections, will provide an SLP to complete the screenings.  We are uniquely trained to treat the whole person with an emphasis on brain/body connections.  Specifically, speech therapists help individuals of all ages improve their communication skills. They assess, diagnose, and treat a wide range of speech, language, voice, and swallowing disorders. Speech therapists work with children and adults to address issues like speech delays, feeding difficulties, phonological disorders, articulation problems, stuttering, language disorders, and voice issues, as well as challenges related to social communication and cognitive-communication skills. If interest in screening exceeds capacity at the conference, Pediatric Connections will honor the free screening at our Stilwell location at a later date. 

Sensory-Motor (3-6 years old)

School readiness skills require engagement of all of our sensory systems. Parents will complete a brief form, and the child will participate in a 10–15-minute screening. An occupational therapist practitioner will provide screenings for foundational fine motor skills including grasp patterns for drawing, writing, coloring and use of scissors. Observation of self-regulation, motor planning, eye hand coordination and balance will be included. The occupational therapy practitioner will provide resources and recommendations for further steps if necessary.

Providers

Jean Wetherilt, OTR/L and Staci Wright COTA both from PossAbilities Children’s Therapy Group will be performing the screenings. PossAbilities is a local pediatric clinic serving the Kansas City area for 20+ years for children ages 0-21 years. Jean is also a veteran homeschooling mom and Staci is a currently homeschooling allowing a unique perspective to assist and support homeschooling families.

Reading (K-5th grade)

Areas of assessment such as phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, oral reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension will be presented, based on the student’s current grade level. A Special Education/Orton Gillingham Trained Interventionist will conduct the reading screening. Students will participate in their grade specific reading screening. Parents will complete a brief survey. Upon completion of the screening, lasting approximately 20 minutes, parents will receive an overview of the screening along with resources to support reading. If it is determined that the student would benefit from additional support, recommendations may be shared.

Provider

Suzanne Wandling, CEO and Co-founder of Homeschoolers.com supports families through coaching, training, and individualized instruction. Suzanne partners with families to help them to confidently homeschool and experience joy in the process. Growing up a Southerner, she attended the University of New Orleans, earning degrees in Elementary and Special Education. Suzanne moved to Kansas to attend the University of Kansas and completed a master’s degree in Special Education. As a trained ICF Coach and Orton Gillingham trained educator, Suzanne is passionate about equipping and encouraging families.  Suzanne lives in Kansas with her husband Warren, two daughters, and rescue dog.

When and where are the screenings?

The screenings will take place with pre-registered appointments April 4-5 at our Homeschool Conference, in the Holiday Inn next to the KCI Expo.
Screenings will take approximately 10-15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute debrief with parents. The debrief will conclude with a list of resources for further assistance.

How can you participate in screenings?

Register by March 28 in the form below

Pay $10 per screening (a non-refundable donation)

Check-in 10 minutes before your appointment slot to complete any on-site paperwork.

Screening Registration

Please log in to your MPE account to sign up!

Registered members get into the conference as part of their membership. New to MPE? Please click the Join button at the top of the page to get membership information including discounts for First Time Families and Parent of Preschoolers. Once you become a member, log in to your account to sign up for learning screendings.

This form is currently closed for submissions.