Parents Encouraged to Get Child Physical Before Kindergarten


Dr. Susan Averitt, from Best Start Pediatric Clinic in Springdale says with Kindergarten registration quickly approaching, parents need to show up prepared.

"The forms you need for your kindergarten registration is the immunization form. Those are the shots that your child needs to get ready for kindergarten. You can get this from your pediatricians office. This other form does not have to be brought with your child to registration, but the schools are asking that each kid entering kindergarten have a physical on file before the child enters kindergarten this fall," Dr. Susan Averitt, pediatrician said.

"We do like each child to have a physical before they enter school. If you've been getting regular physicals all along it's not a big deal.  But it's not just the physical we're talking about here, but also their general wellness. I like to go over things like your child's nutrition, activity level, talk about their weight. We also talk about developmental milestones that each child should reach before entering school. We're looking at hand skills, motor skills, things like that. I talk about safety issues, car safety, stranger safety. I want to make sure that your child from an emotional and physical standpoint are developmentally ready to start kindergarden. It's really scary for parents for parents if they haven't had a child in school yet like they're about to lose their baby. "

Susan Averitt, M.D.
Board-Certified Pediatrician
5501 Willow Creek Drive, Suite 104
Springdale, Arkansas 72762
Phone (479) 575-9359
Fax (479) 575-9415
