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ASQ addresses language and social functioning more specifically than other tools we have used, making it ideal for autism screening…

What ASQ Users Are Saying

Why Parent Report?

ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE are parent-report screening tools, meaning that parents actually complete the questionnaires (and then professionals score them). In this age of time constraints and cost containment, parent-report tools are the most accurate and time- and cost-efficient method of developmental screening.

Studies show that parents’ observations turn out to be very good predictors of developmental delays. In fact, the Journal of Child Neurology reported in 2005 that current research strongly supports the idea that parents—regardless of socioeconomic status, location, or well-being—give accurate information about their child’s development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has specifically cited the following three high quality parent-report screening tools for having “excellent psychometric properties and the advantage of requiring much less time…than instruments that require direct administration” by the professional:

  • the 30-question Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ-3)
  • the 300-question Child Development Inventory (CDI)
  • the 10-question Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS)
See how ASQ-3 compares with three popular parent-report tools >>
Advantages of Parent-Report Tools: Accuracy + Savings + More 

  • Information supplied by parents about their children is typically highly accurate.
  • Parent-report tools are relatively inexpensive compared with instruments that must be completed by professionals.
  • They generally require little training and can be scored by office staff or paraprofessionals.
  • Parent-report tools are very flexible; they can be sent home to be completed independently, taken on home visits, completed in child care or preschool settings, or filled out in waiting rooms.
  • They are deliberately brief and easy for parents to complete.
  • Parent-report tools make use of parents’ unique perspective on their child’s behavior and activities in various natural settings (rather than relying on observation of the child in an unfamiliar setting such as a doctor’s office).
  • They fulfill the spirit of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) amendments calling for parents to be partners in their child’s assessment and intervention activities.
  • Parent-report tools demonstrate that professionals value parents’ input and provide opportunities to establish cooperative relationships.
  • Whether a child is flagged as potentially having a delay or not, high quality parent-report tools—especially ASQ, which is the only one that references developmental milestones—can become effective parent education instruments.

Sources

Glascoe, F. P., Macias, M. M. (2003, April 1). Implementing the AAP’s new policy on developmental and behavioral screening. Contemporary Pediatrics. Retrieved on December 27, 2005, from http://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/contpedsarticle/articleDetail.jsp?id=111721

Rydz, D., Shevell, M. I., Majnemer, A., & Oskoui, M. (2005). Developmental Screening. Journal of Child Neurology, 20(1), 4-–21.