Description:
This series of eight parent-completed questionnaires
with 22 to 36 items in each questionnaire helps determine
children’s progress in their social-emotional behavior.
Each questionnaire can be used within 3 months of the target
age (for the 6- through 30-month questionnaires) or 6 months
of the target age (for the 36- through 60-month questionnaires).
The questionnaires focus on seven behavioral areas: (1) self-regulation,
(2) compliance, (3) communication, (4) adaptive functioning,
(5) autonomy, (6) affect, and (7) interaction with people.
Each questionnaire is written at a 5th- to 6th-grade reading
level. The ASQ:SE can be used to screen for social-emotional
development problems at one point in time or to monitor a
child repeatedly at different intervals. The publisher recommends
that the ASQ:SE be used in conjunction with a developmental
screening tool that provides information on the child’s
communication, motor, and cognitive functioning.
Uses of Information: The ASQ:SE
was developed to complement the ASQ by providing information
specifically addressing the social and emotional behavior
of children ranging in age from 3 to 66 months. The ASQ:SE
is a screening tool that helps practitioners identify infants
and young children whose social or emotional development requires
further evaluation to determine whether referral for intervention
services is necessary.
Reliability: (1) Internal consistency
reliability (Cronbach’s alpha): the alphas for the questionnaires
were .82 overall, .69 (6-month), .67 (12-month), 18-month
(.81); 24-month (.80); 30-month (.88); 36-month (.89); 48-month
(.91); 60-month (.91). (2) Test-retest reliability, with one
to three weeks between tests: percent agreement between scores
by the same rater on two occasions is 94 percent. (3) Inter-rater
reliability: no information available.
Validity: (1) Concurrent validity:
percent agreement of ASQ:SE with similar established tools
ranged from 81 to 95 percent and was 93 percent overall. (2)
Predictive validity: no information available.
Method of Scoring: Scoring can
be done by paraprofessional or professional staff. Scoring
options for the items in the ASQ:SE are “most of the
time,” “sometimes,” and “rarely or
never.” Each response is converted to a numerical value.
The numerical values are totaled and compared with the empirically
derived cutoff score (for that particular questionnaire interval)
that indicates whether a child should receive further in-depth
evaluation. The reproducible scoring sheets all include referral
considerations that help determine whether the child needs
further evaluation.
Interpretability: An Information
Summary Sheet is provided to assist program staff with scoring
and summarizing assessment information and providing them
with a summary of the child’s performance on the questionnaire.
The Information Summary Sheet contains instructions for scoring
the questionnaire, a chart indicating cutoff scores for referrals,
and a list of considerations prior to making referrals to
mental health professionals. Children whose scores are at
or greater than the cutoff point should be considered for
further evaluation or referral, and children with scores below
the cutoff point can be monitored with another ASQ:SE in 6
to 12 months.
Training Support: The User’s
Guide contains complete instructions for training on the ASQ:SE,
setting up the assessment, and conducting it. It provides
instructions for administering the questionnaires with sensitivity
to children’s environmental, cultural, and social-emotional
differences. Other support materials include compilation of
detailed technical data on how the system was developed and
tested, case examples, and creative activities and lists of
social-emotional behaviors professionals can share with parents
for use with each age group. The publisher also offers customized
training seminars to provide guidance on using this assessment
tool.
Adaptations/Special Instructions for
Individuals with Disabilities: The ASQ:SE User’s
Guide briefly mentions the importance of interpreting assessment
information within the context of the specific child’s
health, development, and family/cultural factors. The guide
also describes factors to consider before making a referral
based on the ASQ:SE assessment.
Report Preparation Support:
None described.
References:
Squires, Jane, Diane Bricker, and Elizabeth Twombly. Ages
And Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), A Parent-Completed,
Child-Monitoring System For Social-Emotional Behaviors. Baltimore:
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2002.
Squires, Jane, Diane Bricker, and Elizabeth Twombly. Ages
And Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), A Parent-Completed,
Child-Monitoring System For Social-Emotional Behaviors, User’s
Guide. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2002.
For information on continuing research and adjustments in
cutoff points on the ASQ:SE, refer to www.brookespublishing.com/asqse |
