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Question about asq survey

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Letitia 
#1 ·
We recently completed the ASQ development survey in our toddler group and, in combination with comments from my my daughters daycare teachers and other random people, I have some questions I prefer to ask "anonymously" versus in person.

My daughter turned 22 months last week so we did the 21m0d to 22m30d questionnaire and she can do everything on the list, out of curiosity we looked at the 24 month and 27 month questionnaires as well and she does everything on the 24 month survey and nearly everything on the 27 month survey as well (ie, she does not even score in the "needs to be watched" borderline area of a typically developing 28.5 year old (27 months goes from 25m16d to 28m15d).

Her daycare teachers have said she's advanced compared to most of he kids in her room, which goes from 18 mos to 2.5 years. Random people comment on how verbal she is, how clever she is, and are always surprised she isn't as old as they think she is.

She's our only child and she seems totally on track to me, but, the purpose of doing the survey in our toddler group was so we would know areas to make sure to support their learning (ie, one girl needs to work on her fine motor, another boy needs to work on communication, etc), but because she got top marks in all areas I don't know what areas to encourage her in.

I don't believe in giftedness in the true sense at this young age but I do want to make sure we are meeting her needs and encouraging her to continue to grow in all areas.

Are there any resources that I should be aware of for toddler age kiddos?

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
There's a huge range of normal at this age, and it's very common for people to comment on how verbal/smart/bright kids this age are, especially if they're outgoing and chatty and comfortable in social situations. Your little one is obviously learning and growing beautifully. Whether she's gifted or not there's nothing you need to do other than encourage creative play, read to her, support her interests, love her and enjoy her.

Miranda
 
#3 ·
It is a screening tool for possible developmental delays, and you can't use it try determine giftedness. Although it seems like you should be able to look at the list for an older child and find some meaning, you just can't.


Try to let go of encouraging her in specific areas, and just be her mom. Talk to her, play with her, make things with her, read to her, enjoy her, and love her. She's just a toddler. There isn't some recipe you need to follow to have her turn out a certain way.
 
#4 ·
Thanks, that helps. I should say that we only looked at the older surveys to get an idea of what skills to work on with her, but it didn't really help.

I guess we just felt like everyone else in class got something out of last week's class in terms of activities to do or encourage their child with and we just got "you don't need to do anything" which feels unhelpful. So I was hoping for more resources that apply to totally-on-track kiddos and a friend suggested you guys might have some ideas here. Also I'm kind of bored of the same toys and activities... ;)
 
#5 ·
I guess we just felt like everyone else in class got something out of last week's class in terms of activities to do or encourage their child with and we just got "you don't need to do anything" which feels unhelpful. So I was hoping for more resources that apply to totally-on-track kiddos
Just be a good parent. Do general "good parent" things. As she gets older, it will become more obvious what her interests are and what she wants to explore. But at not even 2 years old, she's really more of a baby than a child, and unconditional love is the most important thing you can do for her right now.

Some resources I enjoyed when my kids were very young are:

Sandbox Scientist
http://www.amazon.com/Sandbox-Scientist-Science-Activities-Little/dp/1556522487

Math Art
http://www.amazon.com/MathArts-Exploring-Math-Through-Year/dp/0876591772/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448144381&sr=1-1&keywords=math+arts

There used to be a great website that had tons of recipes for playdough and homemade finger paint and stuff, and my kids loved it, but it went away. You could most find similar resources if you looked around.

Books I enjoyed reading when my kids were young were:
Your Child's Growing Mind by Jane Healy
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Childs-Growing-Mind-Development/dp/0767916158/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448144667&sr=1-1&keywords=your+child%27s+growing+mind

Miseducation: Preschoolers at Risk by David Elkind
http://www.amazon.com/Miseducation-Preschoolers-Risk-David-Elkind/dp/B000KPGCJI/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448144733&sr=1-2&keywords=miseducation+preschoolers+at+risk

These books are a few years old, and their may be newer ones that are similar, but be careful what you choose. There is such a push for academics for young children right now that it boarders on the insane. I've got zero regrets about my kids spending their preschool years making playdough, playing with science materials, spending time in nature etc. They are both highly academic now and put themselves under tons of pressure. There isn't a reason to start all that early.
 
#7 · (Edited)
My favorite memories of those times with my daughter were when we were out of the house exploring something. We'd go hiking, get maybe 1/4 mile, and she'd climb on rocks, and I'm sure that was helpful for all sorts of development, but mostly it was fun and we could do it together and I would not be bored stiff. We went to the zoo, to the botanical gardens. I found that some books I could read over-and-over and it was like reciting poetry - I kept those out and hid super annoying ones. Frequent library trips. Playgrounds. Once we walked through a hardware store as if it were a museum, and more than once we went into our airports baggage claim area and played around empty carousels. None of this was specifically aimed at milestones, but I figured it was good for both of us.

My daughter is "gifted" (incidental finding on her extensive testing done because we correctly suspected ADHD). She had birth difficulties and was high risk for neurodevelopmental problems, so we did the ASQ through a high-risk follow-up program. For us, it identified a couple problem areas that we worked on with her. But the ones that weren't problems, we didn't work on - she just got the hang of them in the natural process of playing, going on adventures with me, and tagging around at places like the grocery store. Looking back on her early childhood, what I wish I could erase and do-over was my own serious illness the year she was 3, not her speed to any milestones. I think the most important thing for kids to take away from early childhood is that they are they are rooted in love. I have it - I have wonderful memories of being surrounded by love as a young child - and I have never questioned my self-worth. It's really not a race. I'm sure that if you stay engaged with your daughter, talk with her about what you are doing and seeing, let her explore the world, she will develop just fine.
 
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