Strategy

The Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ®-3) Part of the Developmental and Behavioral Screening Strategy

What is it?

ASQ-3 assesses developmental progress in children between the ages of one month to five and a half years. ASQ-3 addresses competence skills and is based on observation of children’s skills. It also screens five developmental areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social. Questionnaires can be completed by parents or teachers, but the tool was developed and validated as a parent-completed tool. Teachers who complete the questionnaire must meet guidelines to ensure they are thoroughly familiar with the child’s skills. 

What is the evidence base?

The ASQ-3 has a high negative predictive value in screening gross motor and fine motor skills at six and 12 months. It also has excellent test-retest reliability among four of the five domains. 

• Hwarng et al_2021_Accuracy of Parent-Reported Ages and Stages Questionnaire in Assessing the Motor and Language Skills of Preterm Infants
• Rothstein, Miskovic, and Nitsch_2017_Brief Review of Psychometric Properties and Clinical Utility of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition for Evaluating Pediatric Development