Red Flags — - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

INTRODUCTION
►► Give the family time to talk about how they
feel, if they choose to. If you have only a
limited time to listen, make this clear to them,
and offer another appointment if needed.
►► Be genuine and caring. You are raising
concerns because you want their child to do
the best that he can, not because you want to
point out “weaknesses” or “faults”. Approach
the opportunity for extra help positively; “You
can get extra help for your child so he will be
as ready as he can be for school”. Also try to
balance the concerns you raise with genuine
positives about the child (e.g., Johnny is a real
delight. He is so helpful when things need
tidying up. I have noticed that he seems to
have some trouble . . .).
►► Your body language is important; parents may
already be fearful of the information.
►► Don’t entertain too many “what if” questions.
A helpful response could be, “Those are good
questions. The professionals who will assess
your child will be able to answer them. This
is a first step to indicate if an assessment is
needed”.
►► Finally, it is helpful to offer reasons why it is
not appropriate to “wait and see”:
□□ Early intervention can dramatically
improve a child’s development and prevent
additional concerns such as behaviour
issues.
□□ The wait and see approach may delay
addressing a medical concern that has a
specific treatment.
□□ Early intervention helps parents
understand child behaviour and health
issues, which will increase confidence that
everything possible is being done to ensure
that the child reaches his full potential.
4 Red Flags: Early Identification in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark November 2007