Concerned parents can bring their children to be screened for developmental delays and disabilities at Astria Health Center – Sunnyside Pediatrics starting Friday, August 19.
“If a child is struggling to talk or they’re having a hard time with holding objects or feeding themselves, there could be an underlying health issue,” said Jillane Raines, OTD, Astria Health System Director of Therapy & Rehabilitation. “If it turns out that a child does have a developmental delay or disability, early-intervention therapy is one of the best treatment options for the child and their families.”
Ms. Raines is an occupational therapist specializing in early-intervention pediatric therapy. She will be working with her colleague, Shaundra Mendez, SLP-CCC, an early-intervention pediatric speech-language pathologist, to offer 15-minute free screenings for children ages birth to five years old. During the screening, Raines and Mendez will work with children to see how they’re developing and then give parents and guardians recommendations if further evaluation is needed.
“The earlier that we can see these children, the sooner we can give them and their parents the necessary tools to learn about their specific developmental needs and support them throughout the process,” said Raines.
The free development screenings will occur monthly, every third Friday of the month, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Astria Health Center – Sunnyside Pediatrics, located at 803 E Lincoln Ave in Sunnyside. To schedule an appointment, please call (509) 837-7551. Walk-in appointments are also available.
Astria Health, headquartered in the heart of the Yakima Valley, is the largest non-profit healthcare system based in Eastern Washington state. Astria Health is the parent organization of Astria Sunnyside Hospital and Astria Toppenish Hospital, along with 23 outpatient clinics offering primary care and specialty services, including but not limited to behavioral health, cardiology, home health and hospice, neurosurgery, oncology, podiatry, rehabilitation therapy and sleep medicine. For more information visit www.astria.health.
###
Posted August 03, 2022
