20/01/2026
Mission Pediatrics Launches Comprehensive School Screening Initiative at St. Nicholas Preparatory, Fostering Early Intervention and Support
In a significant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Mission Pediatrics brought its multidisciplinary expertise directly to the students of St. Nicholas Preparatory Charity School on Wednesday, January 14th, 2026. The dedicated screening day underscored the organization’s commitment to community health and early childhood development, providing invaluable insights and on-the-spot support to learners.
The Mission Pediatrics team was notably joined by two distinguished specialists for the first time: Dr. Marilyn Marbell-Wilson, Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician, and Dr. Kristine Marbell-Pierre, Head of the Psychology Department. Their expertise, combined with the skills of special needs educators, behaviour analysts, speech therapists, and an occupational therapist, created a holistic assessment environment for the students.
The screening employed a battery of internationally recognized tools to create a nuanced picture of each child’s development. These included the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R), Bayley Scales for infant and toddler development, the Mission Pediatrics Autism Redflags Screening Tool (MPARST), and the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). This comprehensive approach allowed the team to assess developmental milestones, cognitive patterns, social-emotional functioning, speech and language, motor skills, and potential signs of neurodevelopmental variations.
A key and immediate observation from the screening was that a significant majority of the students presented with reading challenges. Moving beyond mere identification, the team swiftly transitioned into a supportive, educational role. The special needs educators and therapists provided practical, actionable strategies directly to the children. Students engaged in mini-workshops focusing on:
Decoding Skills: How to break down complex words into manageable syllables and sounds.
Phonics Fundamentals: Clear explanations of short and long vowel sou