OSP's questionnaires are surveys of what a child has learned or is doing when they've had an opportunity to try or practice. There are no wrong answers. Parents know their children best. Your child's questionnaire results help parents learn if development appears to be on schedule, if a little more time or practice is needed, or if more information and professional support may be needed.
Parents and caregivers can use the items in each questionnaire as a guide for milestones expected at that age. Parents' answers show a child's strengths and any areas that may need support or practice.
ASQ Summary
The ASQ asks about general development in each of the 5 areas: Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal Social. Items describe skills or behaviors that many children do or show in daily routine or playtime that parents can easily see or try with their child.
Your answers in each of the 5 areas will show your child’s development at this time:
On Schedule
Development appears to be taking place as expected for this age, at this time. Celebrate your child’s strengths!
Monitor
More time and opportunities to try and practice skills may be needed. Review your responses and see if your child can do any of the items that were answered as "sometimes" or "not yet." In the next few days or weeks. Return to the OSP site and recheck development in 2 months. See the At-Home Activities and look for learning ideas in your child's age range.
May Not Be on Schedule
Development in an area may be taking place differently than expected in this age range at this time. More time and practice to develop skills may be needed – or – they may need further evaluation in this area. If you have concerns, it would be a good idea to follow up with an early intervention provider.
Concerns
Many parents have concerns about their child’s development. Your concerns add important information to the whole picture of your child’s development. Share results and talk with your caregiver, health care provider, or other knowledgeable professionals. Talk with your early intervention provider and schedule an evaluation. See parenting help in our Resource Library. You are welcome to contact us for help with any concerns for your child’s development.
ASQ:SE Summary
The ASQ:SE asks about social emotional development. This includes how your child is doing with feeding, dressing, and routines, how they engage with others, and any concerns parents may have.
Your answers will show your child’s development at this time as:
On Schedule
Behaviors and skills are following what is usual for this age.
Monitor
There may be some behaviors that parents are concerned about, and there may be some that are temporary and typical for an age.
May Not be on Schedule
There may be many behaviors and skills that are a concern at this time for a variety of reasons. A child’s health, recent events, or family changes are important to consider. Connect with a professional or parent-support person to look more deeply at behaviors and ways to support your child at this time.
Concerns
Many parents have concerns about their child’s behavior and learning at these ages. Your concerns add important information to the whole picture of your child’s development. Share results and talk with your caregiver, health care provider, or other knowledgeable professionals. Talk with your early intervention provider and schedule an evaluation. See parenting help in our Resource Library. You are welcome to contact us for help with any concerns for your child’s development.
Resources and Next Steps
Research has shown that the ages of birth to 5 years are one of the best times to support your child’s development. At-Home Activities are Play and Learning Activities that help parents know what to expect a child is ready to do or learn in each age range. Making opportunities for a child to try and practice some new skills or for parents to learn new ways to engage their child can often be the best “next steps.” Oregon Early Intervention providers offer free evaluations and services to support development if needed.
FAQs
The questionnaires are designed to check that a child’s development is on schedule for their age. The items describe average skills of children in each age range so they do not give information about advanced development. Results of “On Schedule” is great news – it means that your child is reaching important milestones expected for their age range.
The questionnaires are a first look at a child’s development, not a full evaluation. ASQ results do not determine if a child has a delay in development. Just like using a thermometer to know what steps to consider when a child isn’t feeling well, answers on the ASQ let us know if development is “on schedule” for their age or if more information is needed. A child’s results may show “may not be on schedule” for many reasons that do not mean a child is “delayed”. Development does not really take place evenly as a child grows, and there may be temporary dips at times. Considerations include health, recent events, or changes in the family or home setting. If they are on the young end of the age range for a questionnaire, they may need more time and practice to show or develop skills. Parents can schedule a full developmental evaluation with their early intervention provider if there are concerns about a delay in development.
Early Intervention / Early Childhood Special Education (EIECSE) is a family-friendly agency available to all families with young children in Oregon. They offer services such as speech and physical therapies for children aged birth to 5 years. After you call, they will schedule a time to meet. You can discuss your concerns together with your child and a development specialist. They will take a much more in-depth look at your child’s development and learn what is important to your family and your goals for your child. If support services are offered, you can decide if this is the best step for you and your child at that time.
For Questions or Tech Support, contact: Kimberly Murphy, Phone: 541.346.2580, Email: kamurphy@uoregon.edu