Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQs)

The Health Visiting team will aim to review your child’s development at key stages. These are when your baby is 10-14 days old, 6-8 weeks old, 9 -12 months old and when your child is aged between 2  and 2 years 6 months old.

The Ages and Stages questionnaire, or ASQ, and the Ages and Stages questionnaire:Social  and Emotional or ASQ:SE  are reliable, researched based screening tools for you to review your child’s development. These questionnaires will be used at key points by your Health Visiting team as your child grows. If you need support in completing this, please speak to your Health Visiting team.

They provide an overview of how your child is developing in important areas such as communication, physical ability, social skills and problem-solving skills.  The ASQ can help to identify your child’s strengths as well as any areas your child may need additional support.

As a parent or carer, you know your child best, which is why the ASQs are designed to be filled out by you. The questionnaires only take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Here is how the ASQ works:

• For each question, you’ll be asked to choose between ‘yes’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘not yet’, based on what your child is able to do at this point in time.
• To answer each question, you can try fun and simple activities with your child. Each question focuses on activities that encourage your child to play, move around and practice day-to-day skills.
• You should receive the questionnaire prior to the health care professional completing the review.
• You will need to have the completed questionnaire available for your appointment and the health care professional will discuss it with you.

The ASQ is not a measure of how well your child is or isn’t doing, as we know all children develop differently and at their own pace. It is an opportunity to discuss with a health care professional how you can be supported to help with your child’s development.

The ASQ:SE will focus on your child’s social and emotional development. This will show how well your child copes in social situations, as well managing their emotions.

Here is how the social-emotional questionnaire works:

• You complete the questionnaire in much the same way as the ASQ, answering each question ‘most of the time’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘rarely or never’, depending on where you feel your child is in their development.
• You will need to have the completed questionnaire for your appointment and the health care professional will discuss the results with you.

If your child has difficulties in some areas, your health care professional will advise you and support you on the next steps.

Sometimes, following discussions with your health care professional, it might be agreed to refer your child to specialist services such as Speech Therapy, Audiology, Community Paediatrician or the Specialist Teaching service.

It’s important to discuss any worries you may have early, so that your child can access the additional support they may need.

Frequently Asked Questions on Health and Development Reviews

1. Is it essential to attend?

Attendance to the health and development review is optional however it may be beneficial to the health and development of your child if you do so.

During the appointment there is an opportunity to measure your child’s weight, review their overall physical/emotional development and discuss any concerns you have about your child with a highly trained health care professional.

At the 2 year health and development review there will also be an opportunity to measure your child’s height.

2. Why are there 2 questionnaires? And why do I need to do these forms?

When you child is invited to their health and development reviews you will receive 2 questionnaires. It is important to complete both questionnaires as close to your appointment as possible as each questionnaire focusses on a different aspect of your child’s overall development.

 What is an ASQ 3?

This stands for Ages and Stages Questionnaire and is a developmental screening tool used to assess your child’s development from a physical perspective. The questionnaire covers 5 domains comprising of communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal social (the child’s ability to interact with others and manage their own emotions and behaviours).

What is an ASQ SE2? 

This stands for Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social- Emotional second edition.  This questionnaire is designed to look specifically at your child’s social and emotional development that may help to identify any issues that require further investigation or support. Social and emotional aspects explore your child’s ability when forming relationships, how they express emotions, how they cooperate with others and how they follow boundaries.

At the appointment there will also be an opportunity to discuss their sleep, diet, behaviour, play skills, toileting, hearing and eyesight, immunisations, bottles, dummies and safety.

You will be able to keep the forms for your records after the appointment.  Some settings may ask to see them and it is your choice to share if you wish.

3. What is a Health and Development review?

This is an opportunity to review and assess your child’s overall health and development to ensure that they are meeting their milestones and age-appropriate expectations. The health and development review can also identify areas where additional support or intervention may be required.  Your child will be offered a review when they are aged between 9 and 12 months of age and aged 2 years old. Ideally their 9 – 12month health and development review should be before their first birthday and their 2-year health and development review before 2 years 6 months.

All health and development reviews are carried out by highly trained staff who will be able to answer your queries, refer your child to the most suitable service, or signpost you to the appropriate resource. This may also include further support with the Health Visiting service, as required.

4. Do I need to complete them now? Questionnaire says for 12-month-old, but baby is only 10 months

The ASQ:3 12-month questionnaire is for babies from 11 months 0 days – 12 months 30 days on the day of the appointment.

If your baby will be younger than this you will need to complete the 10-month questionnaire, this ranges from 9 months 0 days – 10 months 30 days

We recommended completing the questionnaires a week before your appointment.

5. What if my baby was premature

Questionnaires for the 9 – 12 month health and development review are adjusted for babies that are born prematurely and calculated from their original due date, not from the actual date they were born.

For their 9–12-month health and development review, their appointments are made as close to the baby’s first birthday.

Once your child attends the 2-year review prematurity may be taken into consideration and discussed with you at the appointment. However, at this stage children will generally have caught up with their development and therefore the questionnaires are not necessarily adjusted.

6. Should I wait to complete the forms until near the appointment?

Yes, it is a good idea to wait until near to the appointment to complete the forms as your child can develop very quickly in certain areas in a relatively short space of time, especially at the 9 – 12 month health and development review. As the health and development review clinics are quite popular, they are booked up very quickly.  Therefore, when contacting the administrative team appointments can be booked up 2 months in advance, so please take this into consideration.

7. My child is not doing a lot of the things is this a bad thing?

Please do not worry if your child is not doing things that others are for their age or in relation to the questionnaires. Your child may be meeting their milestones but in a different way. Children also develop at different rates and the health and development review is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns with a member of the Health Visiting Team who will be able to advise you appropriately or offer you the best support.  If you would like some advice prior to the health and development review, please contact them. Alternatively, please look at the Health for Under-fives website which is full of information about your child’s expected development.

8. What happens at the appointment?

Please allow at least 45 minutes for your child’s appointment.  We will provide some toys for your child to play with but your child will ultimately remain your responsibility.  At the appointment the Healthcare Professional (HCP) will work through both questionnaires and score them.  The HCP may explore some of the questions further but please do not worry as this is generally to gain more information.

The HCP will discuss the outcomes of both questionnaires, explaining how the scoring works in relation to your child’s score.  Should your child need additional support to meet their milestones the HCP will advise and signpost you to suitable websites or alternative services that will be able to help. The HCP may request to repeat the review in 2-3 month’s time, with a plan or exercises for your child to follow which will allow them time to catch up with their develop.  Alternatively, the HCP may want to refer your child to receive the most appropriate support.  This can include a Paediatrician, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language and Occupational Therapy.

At the appointment you will also have the opportunity for your child to be weighed and their height measured (height is only offered at the 2-year review).  There will also be an opportunity for an HCP to discuss health promotion with you and the opportunity for you to ask questions about your child.

9. How do we cancel or reschedule?

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so as soon as possible so that the appointment can be offered to another family.  You can cancel and rebook by contacting the administration team on 01296 838000 option 1.

10. What do I do if my child is ill on the day?

As soon as you know that your child is unwell, please contact your Health Visiting team to cancel and rebook. If you are not sure about your child’s symptoms the Health Visiting team would be happy to discuss and advise you on your next steps. However, due to the client group we work with including, babies, young children and pregnant mothers, it is likely that the appointment will be rescheduled.  Please contact the administration team on 01296 838000 option 1.