Currently, our child care teachers fill out an ASQ-3 on children prior to parent-teacher conferences while a home visitor has parents fill out an ASQ-3 at home in the same timeframe. The 2 separate questionnaires can be discussed at the parent-teacher conference. However, we screen twice a year and having both teachers and parents complete the questionnaires means that there is a possibility of a teacher completing the same ASQ-3 interval two times and the parent completing it twice as well.
It is great to have both parents and child care providers complete the questionnaires and discuss results as your program is doing. Completing the same age interval four times is not ideal, especially if the child's scores were above the cutoffs during the first administration. One suggestion is to space your screeni…
We use ASQ-3 as our initial screener and the OUNCE for ongoing assessment. Is there an alignment between the two tools?
No, at this point in time, there is not an alignment between ASQ-3 and OUNCE.
Should a program use the ASQ-3 Materials Kit for screenings rather than the items in a child's home or child care center?
No, using the items in a child's home or child care environment is preferable in many ways. Children typically respond best to items they are already familiar with, such as items from their home. It is also important that toys and materials be relevant to the child's cultural practices. However, many home visiting…
Why were the 2 month and 9 month questionnaires added in ASQ-3?
The addition of the 2 month questionnaire enables users to reliably screen children as young as 1 month of age. The new 9 month questionnaire helps pediatricians follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’s guideline to screen all children at the 9-month, 18-month, and 30-month well-child visits.
We use ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 during our Child Find activities. We have the parents make appointments and then send them the questionnaires to complete ahead of time. We're seeing that more and more of our parents are unable to answer the questions for a variety of reasons so we were considering asking staff complete the questionnaires and then conferencing with the parent to compare the scores and finalize. The staff would not be familiar with the child, though. Does that present any concerns? Do you have other suggestions?
The developers recommend that professionals enlist parents to complete the questionnaires whenever possible. ASQ was developed and validated as a parent-completed tool, and many studies have found parents to be reliable evaluators of children’s behavior. As you’ve experienced, there are some scenarios—such as a cogni…
We are conducting screenings during a Healthy Kids Fair and only have approximately 15 minutes per child. One professional will help with ASQ-3 and another will help with ASQ:SE-2. Do you have any recommendations on how to do the tools in a modified version so that we can complete in our short time frame and do not have to print off so many pages? Which questions are critical?
There is no modified version of ASQ-3 or ASQ:SE-2, and it is unlikely to have parents complete both tools in less than 15 minutes. However, you could focus on ASQ-3 and only complete ASQ:SE-2 if a parent had concerns or the Personal-Social domain on ASQ-3 was low. To cut down on the amount of paper, you could consid…
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 screenin…
The ASQ-3 User's Guide says to calculate an adjusted age when a child is born "3 or more weeks" premature. The 2nd edition of ASQ said to adjust age when a child is born "more than 3 weeks" premature. Was this an intentional change?
The developers made the change in how prematurity is defined between editions in an attempt to make determing prematurity and calculating age easier for users to understand and implement. If your program has regularly used the "more than 3 weeks" prematurity guideline from the 2nd edition, you may continue to do so a…
Is ASQ-3 endorsed by the Center for Applied Linguistics or National Center for Family Literacy? Are there any organizations that specifically endorse or recommend ASQ?
No, ASQ-3 has not received an endorsement from the Center for Applied Linguistics or the National Center for Family Literacy. ASQ-3 has been favorable reviewed by many organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and Child Neurology Society, but these reviews do not imply endorsement.
How have items been refined in ASQ-3 from the last edition?
Based on research and user feedback, ASQ-3 items have been refined to present clearer wording, ensure cultural appropriateness, and include more examples for better clarity. New questions about language expression and behavior have been added to the Overall section.
