What Is ASQ?

	ASQ is a series of questionnaires that screen and monitor a child’s development between 4 months and 5 years of age. The results determine if the child is on track or if he or she should receive a more in-depth assessment to determine the need for specialized services.

The Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ): A Parent-Completed, Child-Monitoring System, Second Edition, is a comprehensive developmental screening tool designed to help professionals identify infants and young children who may need further evaluation for developmental delays.

Research has shown that the sooner children are identified as having delays and the sooner they get help, the better their chances of making significant developmental strides. And yet, more than 70% of children who have delays are not identified until after they start school, meaning a critical missed window of opportunity for early intervention.

ASQ is designed to close that gap by providing a convenient and reliable tool for those professionals most likely to see children before they enter school—pediatricians, early interventionist practitioners, and other early childhood professionals. ASQ is a parent-report tool that takes into account professionals’ limited time and the advantage of families’ input.

The Questionnaires

The core of ASQ is a series of 19 questionnaires that correspond to age intervals from 4 months to 5 years. Questionnaires may be used at a single point in time for a one-time screening or at numerous intervals for ongoing monitoring.

• Each questionnaire contains simple questions for parents to answer about activities their child is (or is not) able to do.
• The answers are scored and compared to cutoff scores to determine whether the child should be referred for more in-depth assessment.

Because the activities discussed in each questionnaire reflect developmental milestones for each age group, professionals can use ASQ both as a screening instrument and as a tool to educate parents about their child’s development.

Professionals Rely on ASQ

ASQ has been rigorously tested and validated by nearly 30 years of research. Many state and local programs, as well as professionals in private practice, have adopted ASQ as their primary developmental screening tool. Users cite its reliability, ease of use, and involvement of the family as key reasons for their choice. See what else users say.

In response to practitioners’ requests for a similar tool focused on social-emotional development, the ASQ authors have also developed the companion Ages & Stages Questionnaires®: Social-Emotional: A Parent-Completed, Child-Monitoring System for Social-Emotional Behaviors.