Follow-Up

You’ve finished interpreting ASQ:SE-2 results. Deciding next steps for children with social-emotional concerns can be complex. Consider following up with some of these actions, depending on the child’s specific results and parents’ concerns.

1. Provide activities and monitor (rescreen) the child.
   ASQ:SE-2 developers recommend that you rescreen children with concerns in 2–4 months, and in the meantime, encourage parents to do age-appropriate activities that will support their child’s social-emotional development.
   Share the social-emotional activity sheets found in ASQ:SE-2 Learning Activities & More or in Appendix E of the ASQ:SE-2 User’s Guide.

2. Share results with the primary health care provider.
   Sharing results helps the health care provider explore with parents the possibility that problem behaviors are related to medical or health concerns. Be sure to provide the child’s Information Summary and Item Response sheets, as well as the ASQ:SE-2 Information for Health Care Providers Sheet from the ASQ:SE-2 User’s Guide.

3. Provide parents with educational materials.
   Share with parents the age-specific social-emotional development guides in Appendix E of the ASQ:SE-2 User’s Guide and the parent newsletters in ASQ:SE-2 Learning Activities & More. In addition, national organizations such as ZERO TO THREE and the American Academy of Pediatrics provide excellent parenting resources.

4. Provide information about parenting classes or support groups. Maintain an up-to-date list of community resources—for example, classes about behavior management or supporting foster children who have experienced trauma. If a parent or caregiver requests a recommendation, you’ll be prepared.

5. Have another caregiver complete ASQ:SE-2.
   Children’s behavior tends to vary with the setting and the caregivers. However, children with serious mental health or social-emotional delays will generally exhibit more consistent behaviors regardless of where they are or who is caring for them. Caregivers need to know the child well and spend at least 15–20 hours a week with a child to complete ASQ:SE-2 questionnaires.
   Talk to local mental health providers to determine which ones can evaluate social-emotional development in very young children.

6. Use SEAM to monitor a child’s social-emotional development.
   Continued monitoring of and informal intervention for concerning behaviors is recommended even if a child does not complete ASQ:SE-2 questionnaires.

7. Refer families to early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE).