Why and when is it important to use the standardized questionnaire 'Ages & Stages Questionnaires' (ASQ-3)-'Age & development of the child', for assessment and monitoring of children's development in early childhood?

Abstract

In pediatric primary health care, one of the basic activities is the prevention of diseases and conditions that endanger the quality of life of the child and his/her daily functioning in the environment. According to world data , about 17% of children have some developmental difficulties which are discovered in only 50% of them before they start school. The goal of development assessment is systematic and precise early detection of deviations from normative development, timely undertaking of appropriate interventions, as well as elimination or mitigation of disorders. Research has shown that the use of instruments has increased the early detection of developmental delays or developmental disorders (in this way, 70-80% of children with developmental problems are detected) and provided an opportunity for early application of intervention measures. The set of 21 Ages & Stages Questionnaires ASQ-3 has been used for more than 30 years worldwide to screen and evaluate children's development by observing how children progress in important areas such as speech, physical ability, social and problem-solving skills for children aged 2 months to 5.5 years. It is filled in by parents and returned to professionals, and they further make an assessment based on clear instructions on the procedure of writing results in the domains of development, scoring (graphical and tabular) interpretation and communication, as well as training parents to stimulate development through play, ie. what to do next with the child's parent to stimulate development through play, ie. how and what to do next with the child. In the past ten years, the Association of Pediatricians of Serbia, together with its partners, has advocated for a comprehensive assessment and monitoring of children's development using valid instruments in the framework of preventive pediatric examinations. Through a series of projects in this area, through education of pediatricians and associates, and by application in practice, the standardized questionnaire ASQ-3, entitled "Age and development of the child" was tested and adapted in 2019.