## Sharing ASQ® Screening Results with Families

It's important to always share ASQ® results; parents will be interested in learning about their child's development. Use these practical tips to prepare carefully for these discussions, especially when you will be sharing results that indicate a child needs further assessment.

### Be Timely
Provide screening follow-up information as quickly as you can.

### Show You Value Confidentiality
Be sure the setting for your conversation is private and assure parents that what you share is confidential.

### Use the ASQ Parent Conference Sheet
This sheet will help you organize your thoughts and take notes during the conversation or parent conference.

### Restate the Purpose of Screening
Remind parents that screening is a check of their child's development. ASQ®-3 and ASQ®:SE-2 only show that their child may need further assessment and do not diagnose their child.

### Listen to the Family
Give parents an opportunity to express their perceptions of their child. Be open to new ideas and viewpoints.

### Highlight the Positives
Review the results, emphasizing the child's strengths. Also focus on parents' perspectives.

### Explain the Child’s Results
Be precise—use language such as above cutoffs, close to cutoffs, and below cutoffs when explaining the child's scores.

### Be Sensitive and Positive
Avoid using terms like fail, normal, or abnormal.

### Talk About Outside Influences
Discuss anything that may have affected the child's scores. This could include the child's opportunity to try the skills, the child's health history, or specific cultural or environmental factors.

### Examine Concerns Together
Discuss concerns, and provide specific, objective examples of children's development whenever possible.

### Talk About Next Steps of Development
If the child's development is on track, talk with parents about what skills to expect next. Provide learning activities that they can try at home. Let them know they'll have an opportunity to discuss their child's development again in the future (rescreen in 6-12 months if possible).

### Offer Guidance
Provide information about child development. If a child's score is below the cutoff (ASQ-3), above the cutoff (ASQ:SE-2), or if the parent has concerns, provide information about community resources and referral options.