Ages & Stages 9 Month Questionnaire

[sunwise]

Hi all,

Have any of you been asked to fill out this questionnaire by your ped before the 9-month WBV? Our ped practice asks all patients to fill it out. We haven't had any introduction to it - it was just emailed to us with instructions to complete it. Do any of you know the context for this questionnaire? Is it made up of things that 9-month olds are expected to be able to do, or is it a range of things that they *might* be able to do?

For instance, there are 6 communication questions, and I would say that DS does not do three of them at all: playing a game without us showing him the activity, following a command without us using gestures, and saying words that actually mean something. This is just one example from the form. These are things that never concerned me because I think that many babies are not doing these things by 9 months. But just having the form is making me wonder!

We are seeing our ped on Friday, so I assume this will be reviewed then. But any info you have would be helpful/reassuring. Thanks!

[Parker'smommy]

I fill out a questionare at every WBV at the office, after I check in, but before the visit. My pediatrician then goes over it with us and we discuss it. Yes, usually, the things on the questionare are things that babies of the age of our visit COULD BE doing. For example, at our 6 month visit, it asked if baby was sitting unassisted. My baby was not. So, she sat her up, and said, " ahh, she's close" and then we discussed it all. At the 4 month visit, G was not batting at toys or anything. We discussed it, and she made note of it, and then at her 6 month visit, we discussed that yes, she started it about 1 month after our visit. 

I wouldn't worry about it or anything mostly because what are you going to do? You can't change what your baby can and cannot do...right? It's a means of discussion and for your Pediatrician to evaluate your baby and make sure that any delays that are present don't go unnoticed and can keep an eye on anything. We've discovered that my little one is about a month behind in milestones. Pediatrician isn't concerned because she eventually does get it and she has shown progression. Does that make sense? Her 9 WBV is next week. She isn't crawling or even interested. I'm sure we will discuss it. 

Keep in mind that there is a WIDE range of normal for babies milestones. A baby can start walking as soon as 6/7 months...and some wait as long as 18 months. And that is all normal development. I'm sure that those communication questions are something a 9 month old CAN do, but it isn't considered delayed if they aren't displaying those things. My almost 9 month old can't do any of those things either. She IS slightly delayed. And she acts and looks more like a 6 month old. But it isn't anything to be overly concerned about either. 

[Sfcmama]

The ASQ is a screening tool to help clinicians and parents get a very basic idea of how the child is developing in various domians. There is a scoring system that can be used to help the provider determine if further assessment is warranted. It is not expected that every baby be able to do every item. There are different questionnaires for each month so it can be helpful to compare the results over time. There are also follow up screeners to better rule out any one specific area of concern. The important part (in my EI work) is that you see your child making growth in various areas over time rather than becoming stuck. Different providers use the information differently so definitely check with yours. Hth!

[osker]

If you think about it.. if your baby is exactly average there would be three things he could do and three he couldn't..   Seems just about right to me!

Your pediatrician probably uses it as a tool to help him streamline his visits and hit each important point.

[sunwise]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! We did have our WBV last Friday, although our ped did not specifically review the ages & stages questionnaire with us. She definitely asked about some of the things on it, and tested him where she could (by giving him blocks to play with and stuff like that - which happens at pretty much every appt). There was no mention of scoring or anything. I guess I was making a big deal out of nothing, and our DS seems to be developing just fine!

[Sfcmama]

Glad to hear things went well. I forgot to say that sometimes the asq is used just to alert parents to the range of what their baby may be ready to do so that parents can try new things with them.

[Snow~Pea]

My FD had her 9mo WBV today. They gave me this questionaire to fill out at the office. Some of the questions were easy, but others I really had no idea if she could do or not. Like, can she pick up a piece of string off the floor, ummm I don't make a habit of leaving string around for her to pick up. And it was hard to test the answer with her there because I didn't have many toys or....strangely enough...a piece of string. The doctor looked at it after the visit and called me to say that she wanted to refer her to Early On for an evaluation due to my answers on the fine motor skills section. Thing is, we talked about her development at the visit re crawling and pulling up/walking along furniture and the doc said she was totally on track. The questions in that section had to do with picking up crumbs or cereal. Can she pick them up by raking with her fingers-yes. Can she pick them up between thumb and forefinger-no. So I'm really stressed out about this, but at the same time I don't think she is delayed. I think its just something we haven't worked on because we haven't introduced much finger food. And I don't let her play with any toys that are small enough to pick up with thumb and forefinger for obvious reasons. It really makes me feel like I am failing her because I haven't taught her how to pick up crumbs :(.

[whozeyermamma]

Originally Posted by Snow~Pea 

It really makes me feel like I am failing her because I haven't taught her how to pick up crumbs :(.

 No - you're not failing her at all - at least it doesn't sound like it to me! :) I have to say this made me laugh a little - oh the angst-ing we do ...

but seriously - It's soooo hard but I try not to get all worked up about milestones. My older DD was like a freakishly early talker - this little DS - not so much. She never crawled very well - he was like a pro at 7 months. I can tell you that this babe can't really do the pincer grasp - (I remember when I first started giving him small food to pick up - I held one in my hand and he grabbed my hand and shoved it toward his gaping mouth! Ha! Take that milestone! I figured out an easier way to do it!)

Today I wanted to see if he knew what I was saying so I sat him on the blanket with a bunch of toys and said, "Go get the ball," and he went past the other toys for the ball. Yay! Harvard here he comes ....

[Snow~Pea]

LOL whozeyermamma!  Thanks for the reassurance.

[new2this]

We just fill out the same thing at the Ped the other day. We had done it for DD 6 month WBV as well. I think its more of a  thing for parents to see what they can be doing and are they doing more then this is what they should be doing type thing as well as just a way to see how they are doing. Like the string one well yeah we don't make it a habit to leave sting laying around but I do know she can pick up stuff that is similar to a string like a thin shoe lace, small blade of grass so I just marked yes. So I took some of them as more similar items then what they were actually asking. I like knowing where she stands even though I don't think it means anything outside of she is pretty average.

[Susan OQuinn]

It's great to see everyone talking about the ASQ screening and doing them routinely at WBV!!!  [feeling optimistic]  A recent report found that without using a screening tool like the ASQ, Paediatricians will not identify about 70% of children who could benefit from support in the early years...which can prevent and/or minimize difficulties later.  Just like the WBV, early dental check up & vision & hearing testing,....making sure you screen and monitor your child's development in the early years is a very BIG investment in their future.  WHy?  Because a child's functioning in kindergarten is largely predictive of his/her functioning throughout life.  

Susan O'Quinn

www.familyhelponline.ca