ASQ was developed and validated as a parent-completed tool, and many studies have found parents to be reliable evaluators of children's behavior. Parent responses should be honored as a valid source of information, and it is not appropriate for staff to change or revise responses submitted by parents or other caregivers. It is not unusual for parents to see and report skills and behaviors that differ from those a child demonstrates in a classroom setting. There may even be variability between questionnaire responses submitted by distinct caregivers within the family (e.g., mom and grandmom). Children act in different ways in different settings and with different people.

In a case where the professional knows the child well (e.g., teaching staff that spend 15–20 hours per week with a child) and sees different skills and behaviors displayed in a classroom setting than are reported on the parent-completed questionnaire, a good opportunity arises for discussion with the parent. The professional could ask for more information from the parent to learn more about how the behavior or skill manifests at home, and that can be very helpful when discussing next steps for a child and discovering how the behavior could be encouraged in the school setting.

It's possible that after more in-depth discussion, the parent may have misunderstood the item. But it's common for children to exhibit different skills/behaviors in different settings or with different caregivers. In those situations when perspectives may differ, it is important to view that as a chance to communicate with caregivers to gather the most complete picture and to reinforce the original intention of the ASQ tools.