The Pasadena Public Health Department’s Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) program is now offering parents and caregivers free, confidential access to the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3). ASQ-3 is a pediatrician-recommended screening and provides a quick look at your child's development from 1 month to 5½ years old. It helps you track developmental milestones and identify areas where your child may need further support.
By completing the ASQ-3, you are taking an important step to ensure your child has the resources they need to thrive.
The ASQ-3 may be completed every 2, 4, or 6-month period. Parents and caregivers will be asked to answer questions about some tasks their child can and cannot do. The ASQ-3 assesses five key areas of growth: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Communication, and Personal-Social skills.
The MCAH Program is currently providing free developmental screenings for growth and development using the ASQ-3 to residents of
Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre.
How It Works?
- Answer questions based on what your child is able to do now ("Yes," "Sometimes," or "Not Yet").
Tip: Try fun and simple activities with your child while you answer the questions! These activities encourage your child to play, move around, and practice day-to-day skills. - Submit the form. A specialist from the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program team will review the questionnaire and contact you to schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss the results. Please expect a follow-up contact within 2 weeks of your submission.
- Meet virtually or in-person with MCAH staff to discuss the results. The score will determine if a child is on track or needs additional support. If your child is on track, we will send you articles and fun activity guides to help your child keep growing. If the results identify a need for additional support, staff may provide a referral for further assessment to Early Start, Regional Center, or your child’s school district.
Tip: For the best experience, please take the screening on a computer, not a mobile phone.
There are 21 questionnaires that you can use with children from one month to 5½ years old. If your child has trouble with some skills, the MCAH Program will help you with next steps. Finding delays or problems as early as possible supports young children’s healthy development.
Visit Jefferson Branch Library
- Visit the Jefferson Branch Library (1500 E. Villa St.) to pick up a paper copy of the developmental screening tool. The library will have materials for completing the questionnaire available for use in the library and for check-out.
- MCAH Program staff hold weekly Thursday office hours from 10 a.m. to noon at the library to answer questions, help families, and make appointments. Stop by to learn more about the ASQ!
What to Expect: Milestones by Age
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screenings at 9, 18, 24, and 36 months. Click your child's age below to see typical milestones.
- Rolls both ways (front to back, back to front)
- Sits without support
- Responds to own name
- Explores toys with hands and mouth
- Looks for partially hidden objects
- Imitates sounds that you make
- Transfers objects from one hand to the other
- Makes “happy” and “sad” noises
- Scoots or crawls
- Walks with or without support
- Babbles and says “Mama” and “Dada”
- Responds to simple requests
- Pokes and points with index finger
- Uses thumb and index finger to pick up small items
- Has strong preference for primary caregiver
- Imitates gestures like a wave or a kiss
- Climbs onto and down from furniture with assistance
- Points to pictures in a book with index finger
- Stacks items such as books (blocks)
- Knows three body parts
- Uses several words including “no” and “mine”
- Plays with toys by their function (phone, comb, cups)
- Tries to activate a toy (winding, flipping switch, pushing)
- Does things for attention and looks for a reaction
- Kicks a ball and can walk on tiptoes
- Begins to run
- Uses simple sentences of 2 or more words
- Follows simple directions (e.g., “hand me your book”)
- Sorts items by color, shape and size
- Learning to share and take turns
- Scribbles and may begin to copy vertical lines and circles
- Recites repeated phrases from well-known books
- Catches a ball against chest
- Undresses and unties shoes
- Names actions in pictures (e.g., running, crying)
- Answers “what” and “where” questions
- Categorizes by group (trucks, animals, foods)
- Completes 4 to 5 piece puzzles
- When looking at books, can tell the difference between words and pictures
- Starts to make friends
- Steers a tricycle or pedal car around objects
- Colors within lines and can draw a face
- Knows opposites (hot/cold, big/little)
- Asks “when” “why” and “how” questions
- Uses regular past tense (“ed”)
- Correctly counts out 10 items (1-1 correspondence)
- Recognizes name in print
- Pretends by role playing
- Balances on one foot, skips and jumps forward
- Cuts out shapes with scissors
- Understands 13,000 words
- Answers questions about a story
- Compares amounts using words like “more”, “less”, “same”
- Plays simple board games
- Acts out plays and stories
- Understands rules
- Hops and gallops in a straight line
- Uses mature (tripod) pencil grasp
- Can wait their turn
- Produces all sounds correctly (by 7)
- Correctly uses past and future tenses
- Listens to stories without pictures
- Identifies start and end sounds in words
- Adds and subtracts simple numbers
Contact Us
Questions? Our MCAH team is here to help you understand your child's development.
Call: (800) 304-0015 ️
Email: MCAH@CityOfPasadena.net