Anxiety over Ben's preschool placement

This week, the preschool coordinator e-mailed me suggesting that we change Ben to be screened rather than being evaluated.

The difference is: "A screening is much shorter and looks at the potential for delay.  It helps to pinpoint areas of concern.  This does not require an IEP team meeting to complete referral paperwork.   A referral meeting is required prior to an evaluation and requires the full IEP team.  Evaluations are required for eligibility determination, which depends on which category of eligibility the team is considering."

I want him evaluated, not screened, so this threw me into full blown panic.  The coordinator suggested we decide on screening versus evaluation pending his latest speech and OT evaluation.

His OT is still working on his report, but I finally tracked down a copy of his speech evaluation.

The report states that his eye contact was inconsistent and his attention was so limited that he needed near constant re-direction.  He was impulsive and give answers before a question was finished. During connected speech, he had issues with word retrieval and would substitute a word (knife/scissors).  He displayed echolalia. His intelligibility of connected speech was 65%.

That is just over half for a 4 year old.

I am very stressed and anxious that Ben will not receive placement in a developmental preschool.  If he doesn't, I know he will quietly sit through another year of preschool, not engaging in peers or paying any attention to the teachers.  That will make his kindergarten transition a nightmare.