Do you have tips for administering questionnaires when a parent has a known mental illness such as bipolar, schizophrenia, or active chemical use?
The ASQ developers recommend having both the parent and another adult providing care for the child separately complete ASQ questionnaires. Parents with mental illness may be able to observe their child and provide valid and reliable information despite their symptoms. If the parent is an involved parent, it would be i…
Is there a cutoff point for the monitoring zone on ASQ-3, as there is for the referral zone?
The gray area or monitoring zone on ASQ-3 represents the range of scores between 1 and 2 standard deviations below the mean for each area. The top edge of the monitoring zone is 1 standard deviation below the mean and the bottom edge (also the cutoff score) is 2 deviations below the mean. The chart on page 171 of the …
How does the PEDS compare to the ASQ-3 in regards to expressive Language?
Each ASQ-3 interval has 6 questions in the communication area. These questions measure expressive and receptive skills. Most age intervals have 3 questions about expressive language. For example, “Does your child make sentences that are three or four words long?” and “When your baby wants something, does she tell you …
I would like to use ASQ in my doctoral research. Do I need your permission to use the tool in my study?
If you plan to use the published versions of ASQ with no modifications or alterations in your research, written permission from the publisher is not required. If you plan to translate, adapt, or otherwise change the product, you should submit a request through the [online form][1]. The permissions process takes severa…
Most parents don’t see their child interact with peers because they do this at preschool or child care. How will their answers to these questions be valid?
Most parents see their children interact with peers—during playdates, at birthday parties, at social events, in the neighborhood, in the community, on sports teams, and so forth. For children who have been in a preschool or child care environment, parents typically have seen and heard about their children’s social int…
Our pediatric medical clinic would like to implement ASQ-3 at the 9, 18, & 30 month visits. However, we are a very busy practice and have little resources to provide support for completion by parents. What steps do you recommend for achieving the highest completion rates?
Most pediatric practices are very busy so it’s important to realize that screening doesn't have to be overly time consuming. Simple strategies can be incorporated into office visits to support completion. Some pediatric practices choose to have caregivers complete ASQ-3 questionnaires online at home prior to scheduled…
What is the recommended timeline for screening children in Early Head Start between birth and three years old?
The ASQ is a flexible system and it allows programs to choose the frequency of screening based on what works best with your program's goals and capabilities. We do recommend that programs screen on a regular basis, rather than just once, to detect delays that may develop as the children develop. For children birth to…
Is it possible for some families to opt out of screening? Should we encourage them to participate but honor their request if they decline?
The ASQ developers recommend that programs obtain the consent of parents and caregivers when screening a child. If parents choose not to participate in the screening program, it is important to respect their wishes. Keep in mind that reluctance to participate is often due to a lack of understanding about why screening…
A parent questioned the ASQ-3 age interval selected for her child even though the child's age fell in the age window. The parent was concerned that the selected interval was setting her child up for failure. How can we accurately explain why a given age interval was chosen and help alleviate parent concerns?
Some parents may express concerns about the age interval chosen for their child, especially if a parent perceives the child’s skills as being delayed. Completing the ASQ-3 (and ASQ:SE-2) is designed to be a positive experience for parents so it is important to address these concerns by explaining the purpose of develo…
Are parents able to demonstrate tasks on ASQ-3 to the child unless otherwise instructed not to?
Questions include specific instructions about demonstrating, or not demonstrating, tasks if either of those actions would significantly negatively affect the responses. If there are no specific instructions for a question, then demonstrating beforehand should not affect responses and parents can do so if they choose.
