During my placement, I had the opportunity to observe a 30-month-old child on multiple occasions and create a consultation summary after each visit. The summary consisted of two parts: observation notes and recommendations. Based on my observations, my mentor recommended that the family and childcare staff complete the ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE2 questionnaires. I had the opportunity to practice scoring the questionnaires and conduct a developmental screening report based on the results.

 

I have learned a lot through this process. For the ASQ-3 questionnaire, I scored each question based on the response and calculated the total score for each developmental area. I then transferred the scores to the summary sheet to assess the child’s progress in five key areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social development. If a score falls below the cutoff, it indicates that further assessment by a professional may be needed. If the score is close to the cutoff, it suggests that more learning opportunities should be provided and monitored. A score above the cutoff means the child is developing on track in that area. This child had demonstrated some concerns in fine motor area and was near the cutoff for problem-solving area. He was developing on schedule for other areas. The ASQ-SE2 questionnaire, which assesses social-emotional development, operates on a scoring system where lower scores indicate better outcomes. If the total score exceeds the cutoff, it suggests a need for further professional assessment. In this case, the child’s total scores exceeded the cutoff on both the ASQ-SE2 completed by the parents and the one completed by the teachers.

 

My task was to create a developmental screening report based on the results provided by both the family and the educators. While reviewing the reports, I noticed some discrepancies between the two, which made it challenging to determine a clear picture. To address this, I summarized and compared the results, ensuring the report was written objectively. One valuable technique I learned from my mentor was to include the word “yet” when describing tasks the child could not perform. This emphasizes that the child is not currently able to complete the task but may develop the ability in the future. Additionally, I learned the importance of starting and ending observations or comments with something positive, following the “praise sandwich” approach, which helps maintain a constructive and encouraging tone.

 

I also participated in an ISP meeting coordinated by my mentor, which included the above-mentioned child’s parents, both educators and the center supervisor. This was an incredibly valuable experience for me. The meeting highlighted a dynamic discussion, as the child’s mother was deeply concerned about his development due to a family history of ASD and ADHD, while the father believed the behavior was typical for a young boy. Throughout the meeting, every team member openly shared honest and insightful perspectives on the child’s development. They discussed his behavior at home, interests, strengths, concerns, and the goals the parents had in mind, as well as the next steps to support him. At one point, the parents directly asked the educators if they had observed any signs of Autism. The educator responded professionally, emphasizing that he was not qualified to provide a diagnosis and instead focused on addressing the child’s behaviors and monitoring progress. His statement was supported by my mentor, Cristina, who acknowledged that while the screening results indicated a referral for professional assessment might be warranted, her observations and the child’s age suggested that some behaviors could be part of his development. She explained to me later that she wanted to avoid unnecessarily increasing the mother’s anxiety while still being honest based on her experience. Cristina also clarified that the decision to pursue an assessment was entirely up to the parents, and she assured them that she would support their choice. I have learned that acknowledging the family’s feelings and concerns, while providing genuine, professional, and honest opinions, is crucial for fostering effective communication and achieving optimal outcomes.