Northampton/Hadley Family Connection
Laura Frogameni, Preschool & Partnership Coordinator
Early Childhood Center, 120 Jackson Street, Northampton, MA 01060
413-587-1471
https://ecc.northamptonschools.org/
FAQs about the ASQ
What is the difference between the ASQ 3 and the ASQ SE? Should I do both?
The Ages and Stages Questionnaire is offered in two parts. Completing both gives you the most complete picture of your child's development.
The ASQ3 focuses on the Developmental areas of gross motor (walking, standing, climbing), fine motor (picking up items, scissor use), communication (gestures, sounds, speaking, understanding) and problem solving (how your child is figuring things out) and practical (feeding, toileting).
The ASQ SE focuses on Social Emotional well-being. This can include questions about mealtimes, sleeping, and demonstrations of emotions (crying, friendliness, laughter).
How long does it take to complete the questionnaires?
Anywhere from 10-40 minutes depending on the questionnaire (the SE tends to be a bit shorter than the 3) and the age of the child. Also, sometimes folks aren't sure if their child has a certain skill yet so will pause to observe their child then resume. It's best to start and complete it in one sitting so you are sure to hit submit at the end.
What's the point? I think my child is doing fine.
That's great! And, sometimes there are skills we don't think our child is ready for yet. Something we think maybe is not in their range of doable so we haven't offered them the opportunity to try yet. In completing the ASQ, you can see the range of skills that are possible for your child at their current age.
How do I answer the questions when my child is just learning a new skill?
The answers available to you in the ASQ are YES, SOMETIMES, and NOT YET. That's important as the range of typical skill development can be quite large. Take walking, for instance, it can occur naturally in children anywhere from 9-18 months. Nine months for typical development is a super large time span, making an "early walker" no more advanced than a child who walks at 18 months.
What happens after I hit submit?
Results will be reviewed by one of the Early Childhood Specialists at our Early Childhood Center. We'll contact you to set up a time to talk about your impressions and what we noticed. We'll also provide you with supplemental activities to offer your child and, as needed, refer you to your physician or school district for further screening or evaluation.
Can I do it again when my child is older?Yes! You can log in again to complete either or both ASQs as your child grows. We suggest not more often than every 6 months.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and Northampton/Hadley Family Connection invite you to complete the Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®) with your child. The ASQ® is a developmental screening tool that provides you with a quick check of your child’s development. It is easy to use and typically takes about ten minutes to complete.
The ASQ® provides a snapshot of your child’s development and it focuses on what your child can do. It celebrates your child’s strengths, highlights developmental milestones, and identifies any areas that may need more support. Regular screenings allow you to learn about your child’s development and to address any questions or concerns you may have about what typical development looks like. It allows you to participate in the decision-making opportunities related to your child’s early education and care programming, and it provides your program with invaluable knowledge about your child. Additionally, you may receive an activities sheet filled with ideas on how to extend the learning at home.
Two Types of ASQ® Developmental Screening Tools Available:
You have an opportunity to complete one or both of the following ASQ® developmental screening tools:
1. Ages & Stages Questionnaires® - Third Edition (ASQ® DEV-3) addresses communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social skills.
2. Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional - Second Edition (ASQ®:SE-2): addresses self-regulation, compliance, communication, adaptive behaviors, autonomy, affect, and interaction with people.
Why We Collect ASQ® Data:
Northampton/Hadley Family Connectionand EEC collect ASQ® screening data to identify trends and patterns in the early education and care settings in order to better support the programs with resources and professional development opportunities. EEC is only analyzing the combined scores of all the screening results. The specific names of children are not included in the analysis.
ASQ® results are confidential. BothNorthampton/Hadley Family Connection and EEC follow the Massachusetts confidentiality laws to ensure that your and your child’s personally identifiable information is protected.
EEC signed a data-sharing agreement with United Way to jointly develop a data platform to analyze the combined data. The data-sharing agreement ensures that all individuals accessing the data will maintain confidentiality and ensure your and your child’s privacy.
