What to expect at your child's development review

Where possible, we encourage both parents to attend your child’s development reviews.

Your child’s development reviews will be carried out by a 0 to 19 family health worker or a specialist public health nurse.

We will contact you by text and by letter with an appointment which may be either a home visit or an invite to attend a local clinic setting or Children’s Centre.

We will also ask you to complete an ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ) about your child’s development before we see you at your appointment. It is important that you have completed this ASQ before your appointment. If you have any difficulty completing this, please call us on 0113 843 5683. We can arrange a longer appointment so a member of our team can help you on the day.

Or, if your child attends a nursery or childminder setting, then they may be able to help you complete the ASQ.

Why we use ASQ

ASQ helps you and our team understand how your child is growing and developing.
ASQ is not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.

Every child develops in their own way.

ASQ simply helps start a conversation about what your child enjoys, what they can do, and what support they may need.

Children grow and learn at different speeds. Small delays can be harder to notice.
ASQ helps us:

• notice your child’s strengths
• spot early signs that extra support may help
• share simple ideas you can try at home
• help you feel confident about your child’s next steps

Getting support early can help with learning, communication, confidence, and wellbeing.

What ASQ’s look at

ASQ‑3 looks at your child’s:

• Communication skills
• Gross motor skills
• Fine motor skills
• Problem‑solving skills
• Personal‑social skills

ASQ:SE‑2: Social and emotional screening

ASQ:SE‑2 looks at how your child:

• Self‑regulates
• Follows routines
• Communicates socially
• Use everyday skills
• Does tasks independently

For more information see areas of development below.

How ASQ’s work

• You will get the questionnaire in the post with your appointment letter.
• Depending on your child’s age, you may get one or both questionnaires.
  • 9 to 12 month development review: You will receive one questionnaire (ASQ-3) to be completed before your appointment. When you receive your ASQ try practicing the activities(or similar) at home.
  • 2 to 2.5 year development review: You will receive two questionnaires, an ASQ-3 and also an ASQ:SE which screens your child’s social and emotional development. Both these questionnaires will need to be completed before your appointment. When you receive your ASQ try practicing the activities (or similar) at home.
• Please try to complete the questionnaire before your appointment.
• When you receive it, have a go at some of the activities (or similar ones) at home.

If you are unsure about a question, or if your child has not tried an activity before, do not worry. Just answer as well as you can.

The questionnaire is matched to the milestones for your child’s age. If your child was born early (prematurely), we will adjust the age we use so the questions are right for them.

At your appointment, your 0–19 practitioner will go through the questionnaire with you. They can show you examples of activities if anything is unclear.

Remember: you know your child best. Your knowledge is important and helps guide the discussion.

What do ASQ results mean

After we look at the questionnaire together, we may discuss:

1. your child’s development is on track

We will celebrate their milestones and continue with routine check‑ins.

2. your child may benefit from more practice

We can share simple, fun activities you can try at home to help develop their skills.

3. your child may need extra support

If the results show that more help could be useful, we will talk through next steps together.

This might include early years services, speech and language support, or other helpful resources.

ASQ does not diagnose any conditions.

It simply helps us decide whether more information or support may be helpful.

Measurements

During the review you will be offered for your child to be weighed and their height measured to make sure they are growing healthy.

At the 9 to 12 month development review your child can also have their head circumference measured.

Please remember to bring your child’s Red Book (Personal Child Health Record (PCHR)) so we can record this.

Communication

How your child listens, understands, and uses sounds, gestures, or words.

Examples:

• Responding to their name
• Pointing
• Making sounds
• Using single words or short sentences (depending on age).

Gross Motor

Big movements using larger muscles.

Examples:

• sitting
• crawling
• standing
• walking
• running
• climbing
• kicking or throwing a ball.

Fine motor

Small movements using hands and fingers.

Examples:

• Picking up small objects
• Holding a spoon
• Stacking blocks
• Scribbling with a crayon, turning book pages.

Problem solving

How your child learns, explores, and works things out.

Examples:

• Fitting shapes into a sorter
• Figuring out how to get a toy
• Copying actions, following simple instructions.

Personal and social

How your child relates to others and manages their own feelings.

Examples:

• Smiling at familiar people
• Showing interest in other children
• Playing alongside or with others
• Showing independence (feeding themselves, trying to dress)
• Beginning to share or take turns.