[Applicability of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) as a developmental screening tool for psychomotor delay]

The screening and timely intervention of developmental psychomotor delay (DSM) has proven benefits for the child, families and society. In order to improve the efficiency in the identification of these disorders, many scientific groups recommend performing clinical monitoring during health controls and the use of standard evaluations at specific patient age or when delays are suspected. In recent years, screening instruments have been developed based on the report of parents or primary caregivers, which have the advantage of being inexpensive, require little application and interpretation time and involve the adults who are responsible for the care and stimulation of the child. One of these tools is the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), which has been widely used in the US and validated by several countries. This study describes the DSM assessment practices used in Chile and backs up the use of monitoring systems based on the report of parents/caregivers. ASQ validation experiences in other countries are discussed along with their psychometric characteristics for the Chilean population and consequent applicability.