Why Developmental Screenings Matter
Understanding Your Child’s Development
The first five years of a child’s life are fundamentally important. All of the experiences and relationships they build help stimulate their brain development. In fact, children’s brains develop connections faster in the first five years than at any other time in their lives. As a parent, it’s natural to want to know about your child’s development, the appropriate expectations for their abilities and behavior, and sometimes just gain reassurance about what’s normal. That’s why we at Champions, offer FREE developmental screenings to help parents understand their child’s development. Knowledge of parenting and child development helps to define what parenting looks like when families have good information and skills to help their children at every stage of development. Here’s a brief overview of our screenings and why you may want one for your child.
What is an ASQ?
The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a parent-completed questionnaire that is used as a general developmental screening tool. The questionnaire is quick and can be completed by parents in about 15 minutes. The ASQ covers five areas of development: personal-social, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and communication for children from 2-66 months.
How does an ASQ work?
Once the parent fills out the questionnaire, our developmental screening specialists will look at the responses to see if the child is on track for their age. Champions’ developmental screening specialists can also offer activities for parents to do at home with their children to help build their skills and encourage new ones. The specialists can also refer parents to community resources that can assist with further evaluations if needed.
Why does screening matter?
Taking the initiative to have your child screened is an effective way to check a child’s development. It helps parents celebrate their child’s milestones and know what to look for next, and determine whether follow-up steps are needed. In most cases, these questionnaires accurately identify young children who are in need of a further evaluation to determine if they are eligible for early intervention services. This was the case for Norma, a Parents as Teachers participant.
“I had concerns about my 18-month-old son’s language skills as he wasn’t saying any words or babbling much. My Parent Educator had us complete the ASQ screening during one of our home visits. My son scored a 0 in communication. My Parent Educator got him a referral to Early Steps and he started services. After only 6 weeks of sessions with Early Steps and doing the intervention activities my Parent Educator provided, he is now saying mama, dada, yeah, and no. He is also babbling a lot and has increased his receptive language skills. He also LOVES reading books.” – Norma, Parents as Teachers Participant
Want to have your child screened? Contact us today!
Using the Brookes Publishing Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Champions offers children between 2 and 66 months of age a complimentary developmental checkup. Together, parents and a Developmental Screening Specialist will view a snapshot of your child’s development; noting achievements, milestones, or possible concerns which will be addressed early. This screening ensures peace of mind for you and success for your child!
Learn more about your child’s milestones, reassurance on what’s normal for your child’s age range, how to best foster development, and available community resources that can support you and your family. Contact Elena Medina, our Developmental Screening Specialist, to get more information and to schedule an appointment at 813-673-4646, ext. 1146 or email at emedina@cfctb.org.