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Examined the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), a series of 11 developmental questionnaires designed to be completed by parents and caregivers of young children from 4 to 48 months of age. The ASQ were recently revised and additional psychometric data were gathered. Analyses on over 7,000 questionnaires indicated high test-retest reliability, interobserver reliability, and internal consistency. Concurrent validity using standardized measures yielded on overall agreement of 85%, with a range of 76-91%. Specificity was high across questionnaire intervals while sensitivity was lower and varied across intervals. Use of parent-completed screening tools such as the ASQ is attractive in terms of cost-effectiveness, parental involvement, and flexibility in administration procedures.

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Referral rates increased dramatically, with the greatest increase at 12 months. Although patients with pediatrician referrals were likely to qualify for services (96%), physician referrals accounted for only 42% of total referrals, which highlights the need for pediatric developmental screening. The 54% Ages and Stages Questionnaire return rate, although acceptable under study conditions, calls for alternative implementation strategies.

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There is increasing concern over the number of young children who exhibit challenging behaviors in early childhood settings. Comprehensive prevention models are needed to support teachers' management of challenging behaviors and to avert the development of such behaviors within at-risk populations. One approach utilizes a three-tier prevention model called positive behavior support (PBS). The present research first assessed one region's implementation of PBS in 15 early childhood settings and found that on average, few features of PBS (30.79%) were implemented. Next, the impact of PBS consultation on teachers' use of universal PBS practices and children's behavior was evaluated in a multiple baseline design across four classrooms. A functional relationship was established between PBS consultation and teachers' implementation of universal PBS practices, but overall low levels of problem behavior prevented assessment of the impact of these changes on child problem behavior. Implications for future applications of PBS to early childhood settings are discussed.

Traditional standardized, norm-referenced assessments are used most often to determine children's eligibility for specialized services. These traditional tests have at least two drawbacks: (a) test items and activities often do not reflect children's functional repertoires; and (b) outcomes are difficult to link directly to goal development, intervention, and evaluation.A promising alternative is the use of an assessment approach that reflects children's functional repertoires in familiar environments (i.e., authentic), and directly connects outcomes to programmatic efforts (i.e., linked). This study investigated the validity and reliability of an authentic and linked alternative assessment. Sixty-eight toddlers, with and without disabilities,

In general, the ASQ was translated with cultural appropriateness in mind and functioned as a valid and reliable parent-completed screening test to assist in early identification of young children with developmental delays. Further research is needed to confirm these results with a larger and more diverse Korean sample.