Q&A: How to Support Families with Ongoing Screening and Promotion
Sparkler spoke with Zulema Rubalcava Barron, the Developmental Screening Manager at Support for Families of Children with Disabilities in San Francisco, about the importance of ongoing developmental screening and promotion in the early years.
What is developmental screening and why is it important?
Developmental screening is a snapshot in time of your child’s developmental progress. It’s like taking a picture of your child and being able to see how much they’ve grown from the last time you took their picture, except with a screening, we can see your child’s developmental strengths and which skills might need more practice or support. Every child is unique and that’s why it’s so important to use the information from the screening to be able to help your child and their individual strengths and skills continue to grow and learn.
How early should families complete an Ages & Stages Questionnaire?
I love talking about the wealth of information that families can find in the Sparkler app! The Sparkler app has so many great learning activities at your fingertips that are so easy to do with your child. The questionnaires are great but using the “Play” tab to get ideas of how to play together will not only promote your child’s development but will also create timeless memories of having fun, as a family (and while they’re learning too)! There are also so many amazing parenting tips on the “Home” page, so that, as a parent, you can also continue to learn and grow your own parenting practices.
Should all families complete ASQ? Or just families with concerns?
The great thing about these questionnaires is that they’re meant for every family, even if you think your child is doing great. Like I mentioned before, all children develop at their own pace and all children can benefit from support at times. The ASQ gives you great individualized information about your child’s development, so that we can celebrate their success and provide support where (and when) they most need it.
People say “repeat screening” or “screening over time” is important. Why? How often should families be doing this?
The first five years of a child’s life are so important! These years are building the foundation for your child’s future growth and learning, so it’s important to check in periodically, especially in those first three years, when children are learning and developing so rapidly! There are different recommendations about how often we should ask families to fill out these questionnaires, but I don’t see any harm in letting families fill them out as often as they want. In general, you can’t screen too much, but you can screen too little; my hope is that families complete these questionnaires at least twice a year, if possible.
Families tend to enjoy completing the questionnaires. I’ve always thought it’s because it helps them celebrate all the things their kids CAN do! How have you seen parents react to the ASQ over your career?
Most families I’ve worked with tell me that they really like answering the ASQ’s because, not only do they learn more about their child, but also learn more about child development and the milestones children reach as they grow. Families often tell me that they continue to learn so much just by observing their child playing after completing an ASQ because they now have a better sense of what to look out for and how to continue to support their child’s development. I’ve also had families tell me that they’re so grateful they did this because they thought their child was developing typically, but after filling out the questionnaire they were able to see that their child was delayed in meeting some of their milestones and were able to get support from their teacher, pediatrician, professionals, etc., to the benefit of their child.
Do you have any tips for a provider having a conversation following screening with a parent who does have concerns about their child’s development?
Always start with strengths! Every child has things they’re doing really well, even if there are concerns in other areas, and it’s important that families hear what those strengths are before talking about the concerns. Be specific about the concerns and let families process the information in whatever way works for them; that might look like giving them more time, less time, more information, less information, etc. And, also remind families that as their provider, you’ll be walking alongside them to support them throughout the process of finding out more information about their child’s development or looking for resources that can support their child.
How can families use Sparkler in an ongoing way to support learning after completing a screening?
Always start with strengths! Every child has things they’re doing really well, even if there are concerns in other areas, and it’s important that families hear what those strengths are before talking about the concerns. Be specific about the concerns and let families process the information in whatever way works for them; that might look like giving them more time, less time, more information, less information, etc. And, also remind families that as their provider, you’ll be walking alongside them to support them throughout the process of finding out more information about their child’s development or looking for resources that can support their child.
Support for Families helps families who have concerns to access evaluations or needed services. Can you tell us a bit about that care coordination piece and what supports there are for families in San Francisco with developmental concerns?
We’ve been around since 1983, helping families who have children with developmental delays or concerns, disabilities, and/or special health care needs in San Francisco by proving information, education, and parent-to-parent support. We have an amazing team of care coordinators and family resource specialists that speak multiple languages who partner with families to navigate the different systems that provide evaluations or other services. We typically get referrals from all different sectors, like early childhood educators, health care settings, or other community agencies, but families can also self-refer themselves and call themselves if they have any questions or just want to explore resources. We also have fun family events, parenting play groups, support groups, parent workshops…the list goes on!
How can Support for Families help programs that are using Sparkler and ASQ with their families?
We’ve been partnering with the Department of Early Childhood (DEC, also formerly First 5 and OECE) to help sites with their developmental screening systems, including using Sparkler. We have a variety of trainings on the ASQ and ASQ:SE, talking to families when concerns arise, and other trainings that support educators on everything from promoting self-regulation to supporting sensory needs to using visual aids, etc. We know that as we start screening, children who need a little more support will be identified and we want to make sure that this process is supportive for everyone — families and the providers who serve them. You can find all our supports on the Support for Families website.
You’ve been doing screening/early intervention for a long time! Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I’ve been working with families for most of my career, as an early interventionist at first, but have been working on making sure there is universal access to developmental screening in San Francisco for more than 16 years now, with different projects, but always with a focus on making sure that families have all the support they need to help their child grow and learn.
