Screening for Developmental Delay in At-Risk Children: Ages and Stages. Questionnaire in an Adolescent Primary Care Clinic

The current study examined the rates of developmental delay and classifications made using the Ages and Stages: Third Edition (ASQ-3) at free primary care clinic geared toward the treatment of adolescents and their children in and around New York City. This sample may serve as a model for primary care clinics as they comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and see an influx of patients due to the Affordable Care, as many at-risk patient\u27s and their children may now be seen by service providers. An archival data set containing scores and classifications from the ASQ-3 for 140 parent-child dyads was examined; average parental age was 20.9 years, and children ranged in age from one to 68 months. Raw scores were presented in five developmental areas (Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal Social) and children were classified as below the cutoff, in the monitoring area, or above the cutoff in each developmental area. Significant differences between all groups were found, suggesting that ASQ-3 can be used to make referrals and inform service provision. Significant differences were observed) between the research and normative samples in the areas of communication, fine motor, and problem solving domains. Observed rates of children falling below the cutoff in this population were much greater than those observed in the general population. A total of approximately 23% of participants were below in at least one developmental area, rates within single developmental areas ranged from approximately 4% to 10%. These results highlight the importance of providing services to this population exhibiting high incidence of developmental delay and contribute to growing body of knowledge of at-risk populations