Rainbow Fleet Child Care Resource and Referral offers parents an opportunity to take action this April as part of National Autism Awareness Month. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 59 children. But rather than being intimidated by this statistic, Rainbow Fleet encourages parents to schedule a free developmental and autism screening.
Rainbow Fleet and OU Health Science Center partner to offer free screenings for autism and development in areas including language, cognitive function, gross motor, fine motor and social skills. Speech and language pathologists and behavioral health specialists conduct the screenings with a parent or legal guardian present. The next screening is April 10 at Rainbow Fleet, 3024 Paseo. Additional screenings are held monthly and can be scheduled by calling 521-1426.
In a time of abundant misinformation regarding ASD and child development, Rainbow Fleet’s screenings allow parents to seek expert, science-based counsel. Parents can ask questions regarding their child’s development and receive science-based information at no cost. While intervention is beneficial at any age, early identification gives parents a head start in providing the best care and resources for their children. Signs of ASD can be present within the first few months of a child’s life, and it can be reliably diagnosed as early as two years of age. However, since some children do not exhibit obvious signs, professional evaluation is crucial.
Rainbow Fleet offers these screenings as an extension of their mission to support the safety and development of Oklahoma’s children. For more than 40 years, Rainbow Fleet has provided innovative child development programs to families and child care service providers. Rainbow Fleet offers free child care referral services, safe sleep and child development trainings, child care licensing and technical assistance and age-appropriate activities and curriculum. More information is available at rainbowfleet.org.
