Questions about Social-Emotional Screening

Q: When implementing universal screening, how often do you recommend screening for social and emotional development?

A: It is recommended that programs screen children on a regular basis, rather than just once. Screening infants and toddlers every six months and preschoolers once a year is a reasonable monitoring schedule. And, children can be screened at any point if a parent expresses concern.

Q: If a child is screened and social-emotional development is on track, should the child be screened again in the future?

A: It is advisable to monitor children over time, considering the rapid social-emotional changes that occur in children between birth and 6 years of age. Parents also have different needs at different stages of a child’s development. For example, some parents are very comfortable and at ease about parenting infants but begin to feel challenged when their child becomes a toddler and strives for independence. In addition, any change in children’s homes, schools, or health status may greatly affect their social-emotional development. For these reasons, continued social-emotional screening is recommended.

Q: Is parental consent needed to conduct screening?

A: It is considered best practice for a program to obtain parental consent prior to conducting screening. Early learning programs should establish clear guidelines regarding parental consent. Written consent may not be required for screening tools completed by parents as parent participation indicates consent. However, it is always important to share information with parents about a universal screening program; some programs include information in a parent handbook while others send home written materials (see sample materials for ASQ).

Q: If a parent is not willing to have their child assessed, how do you handle this as a teacher?

A: A parent or caregiver has the right to deny participation in a screening program. As a teacher, you should share information about the importance of child development and universal screening, but the final decision remains with the parent or caregiver. If a parent refuses to participate, you may want to offer screening again in a few months.

Q: Mental health can be a tough topic for parents and often they are uncomfortable discussing possible emotional issues. How can educators approach parents?

A: A universal screening program where all children are screened on a regular basis can be helpful for these parents because individual children are not being singled out. Providing information about healthy social-emotional development to all parents can also help establish a general awareness about the issue. Also, using a parent-completed screening tool helps engage parents as it relies on their feedback and input and provides a starting point for discussion about any potential issues.

Q: What should happen if a child behaves differently at home versus at school?

A: Children’s behavior frequently varies between home and school settings. Using a screening tool that elicits parent input about behavior at home can be enlightening for teachers. It may also be beneficial for both parents and teachers to complete the screening tool. Then, results can be shared and any issues regarding behavior in different settings discussed.

Q: What were the names of the two recommended resources discussed at the end of the webinar?

Questions about ASQ:SE-2

Q: What type of program can use ASQ:SE-2?

A: ASQ:SE-2 is used across a wide variety of settings serving young children, including all types of early learning settings (Head Start, private child care, family child care, public preschool); home visiting programs; and pediatric offices. Learn more about the types of programs that use ASQ.

Q: What languages is the ASQ:SE-2 available in?

A: ASQ:SE-2 is available in English, Spanish, and French. ASQ:SE-2 will soon be available in Danish through Dansk Psykologisk Forlag, and the first edition of ASQ:SE is available in Norwegian through R.BUP. ASQ:SE, first edition, is also available in Hmong and Somali in Patient Tools, Inc. electronic screening system. Learn more and order translations of ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2.

Q: Can you share information about the normative sample, such as race or culture?

A: The ASQ:SE-2 technical appendix includes a detailed description of demographics for the normative sample. See pages 188 – 190.

Q: Is there an online tool for ASQ:SE-2?

A: ASQ Online offers online management and online questionnaire completion for ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2. Read more and watch demo videos of the system.

Q: We still have the first edition of ASQ:SE. How different is ASQ:SE-2?

A: The main updates to ASQ:SE-2 include

  • new 2 month questionnaire to screen infants as young as 1 month
  • new behavior and communication items designed to elicit parent concerns that may point to autism and early communication issues
  • the addition of a monitoring zone to help track children who score close to the cutoff score
  • new data and cutoffs based on updated research on more than 14,000 diverse children

 

Learn more in a What’s New for ASQ:SE-2 webinar.

Q: How do teachers obtain a copy of the ASQ:SE-2?

A: ASQ:SE-2 is sold as a Starter Kit, which includes a box with 9 photocopiable questionnaire masters and a CD-ROM with printable questionnaire files, User’s Guide, and Quick Start Guide. Products can be purchased from Brookes Publishing.

Learn more about ASQ:SE-2

Sample questionnaire

At a Glance

ASQ newsletter

  • Children Engaged in the Classroom

    What ASQ Users are Saying

    “What I love about the ASQ is that it allows our staff to catch delays quickly and allows us to get our clients the early intervention programs that they sometimes need. In many cases [ASQ] helps us catch children up before they start kindergarten, therefore providing children with the start that they deserve.

    Sharon Gee, Supervisor, Healthy Families Niagara