Ages and Stages

Questionnaires (ASQ3)
With Summary

Sharon Parke

Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3)

DF seems to be a very healthy eight month old girl. She has been in Berkley Building
Blocks Childcare at Tyndall Center fulltime for six months. She has one older brother who is
three years old. He also attends Berkley Building Blocks Childcare at Tyndall Center and
frequently comes into the infant room to drop DF off in the morning and at pick up in the late
afternoon. DF seems to really enjoy her older brother kissing her goodbye in the morning. She
always smiles and laughs when he hugs and kisses her. DF comes from a two parent home
where both parents are professionals who both work outside of the home. DF does not show any
signs of anxiety during drop off or pick up times. She immediately plays on the floor with toys
provided when her parent sets her down. She rarely cries during this transition.
DF usually eats most of the food her parents provide and is beginning to eat finger foods.
She has been practicing with a sippy cup and water, but needs assistance in tilting the cup to get
water from it. Sometimes she does it independently. At other times, she puts the cup to her
mouth, gets nothing, and throws it on the floor. She frowns and sometimes cries showing
frustration. About one half hour after eating solids, DF is given a bottle of formula with her
primary caregiver cradling her in their arms. After finishing the bottle, DF usually falls asleep
and will sleep in her crib for about one to two hours. She takes a morning nap and an afternoon
nap.
DF has a very loud cry indicating her basic needs need to be met. Once on the changing
table, DF seems easily amused with small toys or holding the clean diaper. She seems engaged
when taking part in the diapering process if she is given a job to do like holding the diaper.
DF seems very interested when her caregivers talk to her and listen to her babble back. I
know this because her eyes get real wide and she focuses on her caregivers face. She laughs a lot
when caregivers encourage her to talk.
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Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3)

The ASQ was administered in the afternoon on a day where there were many children
absent due to spring break or a rampant Hand, Mouth, and Foot Virus that attacked my
classroom. DF exhibited no symptoms. The room was unusually quiet. There were no
interruptions.
During the assessment, DF seemed eager to find out what we were going to do next. She
tried all activities without hesitation. She seemed very focused. However, when I stood her up
and held her hands (Gross Motor #4) DF seemed a bit hesitant. I wondered if she was
apprehensive because I never held her up like that, or if she was a little shaky because she was in
the standing position. The fine motor section was fun to administer because DF kept eating the
Cheerios and throwing the block on the floor. She turned it into a game. I had to play along by
picking up the block and giving her more Cheerios because she made it down right fun!
DFs lowest score was in Fine Motor. She just missed the cut off by .15. I am not overly
concerned about that score because she is very strong in all of the other areas. DFs highest
score was in Personal Social. That came as no surprise because she seems to thrive on, and
demand interactions with staff and other children.
My recommendation for follow-up action is to create more opportunities for DF to
develop fine motor skills. Some activities would be picking up small toys, crayons on paper, and
practice using a spoon during meals. To build muscles in her hands, activities that involve
squeezing play dough could also be used. Another recommendation would be to encourage
parents to explore fine motor activities with their child at home like using bingo markers or large
pieces of chalk on small chalk boards or the sidewalk. I may need to explain that it is
developmentally appropriate for their child to use a fist grasp as opposed to a pincer grasp. My
recommendation would be to retest in about three months because I think the results were typical
of a nine month old. And she just needs time to grow.
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Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3)

My overall impression of the ASQ as an assessment tool overall is very positive. The
directions are easy to understand. It is easy to administer and easy to score. It is used in Berkley
Building Blocks and is given two times per year.
I come from the belief that parents are their childs first and best teachers. So I feel that
parents should be involved in the assessment of their child. Parents are encouraged to fill out the
ASQ online. (Some of them do lie about what their child can do. But there is not a lot a teacher
can do about that.) It is then sent to Oakland Schools for score interpretation with
recommendations for follow-up. If parents do not participate, teachers are required to fill it out.
The results, along with the COR and anecdotal notes, are used to develop goals for each child
during parent teacher conferences. It also helps parents to understand their childs development.
The ASQ has proven to be a valuable tool in the assessment of my students. It has helped
me identify where a child is developmentally. Some of the recommendations have also resulted
in getting early intervention for a few of my infants. I now have occupational therapists,
physical therapists, and speech therapists that visit my classroom to work with some of the
children. The ASQ was used as a screening validated them adding my students to their
caseloads. Other recommendations have helped me develop activities which have allowed me to
scaffold skills. In general, the ASQ, (along with the COR) has helped me create a better learning
environment for the children I serve.

Bibliography
Diane Bricker, P. J. (2009). Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) .
Baltimore, MD : Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company. .

Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3)