What to Expect

⏱️ What Is the DIAL-4 Screening?

The DIAL-4 (Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning – Fourth Edition) is a fun, play-based screening used with children ages 2 years, 6 months to 5 years, 11 months. It takes about one hour to complete and helps us get a picture of your child’s development before kindergarten.

It checks five key areas of development:

Three areas your child will complete with a trained screener:

• Motor Skills

  • Gross Motor: catching, jumping, hopping, skipping

  • Fine Motor: building with blocks, cutting, copying shapes and letters, writing, and finger-touching tasks
    
    

• Language Skills

  • Answering simple questions, articulation, naming objects (expressive language), identifying objects (receptive language), phonemic awareness, and rhyming
    
    

• Concepts

  • Naming body parts and colors, rote counting, counting blocks, understanding picture concepts, sorting shapes, and automatic naming of objects
    
    

Two areas completed through a parent questionnaire:

• Self-Help Skills

  • Personal care tasks like dressing, eating, and grooming
    
    

• Social-Emotional Development

  • How your child interacts with others, follows rules, shares, shows self-control, and demonstrates empathy
    
    

The DIAL-4 helps celebrate your child’s strengths and spot any areas where extra support may be helpful—all in a comfortable, playful environment that helps kids feel successful

⏱️ What Is the ASQ-3 Screening?

The ASQ-3 (Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition) is a quick, research-based screening tool that helps families and educators better understand a child’s development from birth to age 5. It usually takes about 15–20 minutes and is completed by the parent or caregiver, because no one knows your child better than you!

The ASQ-3 includes simple questions and activities you can observe or try with your child. It covers five key areas of development:

• Communication – listening, understanding, and using words
  
  

• Gross Motor – big movements like crawling, walking, jumping, and climbing
  
  

• Fine Motor – small hand and finger movements like grasping, stacking, and drawing
  
  

• Problem Solving – learning and thinking skills, such as exploring cause and effect or completing simple puzzles
  
  

• Personal-Social – independence, social interaction, and self-help skills like feeding, dressing, and playing with others
  
  

Once you complete the questionnaire, we’ll review the results together and share ideas, resources, and next steps—if needed—to support your child’s development.

The ASQ-3 isn’t a test—it’s a tool to help celebrate your child’s growth and guide future learning!

⏱️ What Is the ASQ: SE-2 Screening?

The ASQ: SE-2 (Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition) is a quick, easy-to-complete screening that focuses specifically on your child’s social and emotional development—how they manage their feelings, interact with others, and handle everyday routines.

Designed for children from 1 month to 6 years old, the ASQ: SE-2 takes about 10–15 minutes to complete and is filled out by a parent or caregiver. It’s based on your real-life observations and experiences with your child.

The questionnaire looks at important areas such as:

• Self-regulation – how your child manages emotions and behaviors
  
  

• Compliance – following simple directions and rules
  
  

• Social-communication – expressing needs and understanding others
  
  

• Adaptive functioning – daily routines like sleeping, eating, and transitions
  
  

• Autonomy – independence and self-confidence
  
  

• Affect – showing emotions appropriately
  
  

• Interaction with people – how your child plays, shares, and responds to caregivers or peers
  
  

Your answers help us understand how your child is doing socially and emotionally, and whether there might be any areas where extra support could be helpful. It’s not a test—it’s a way to check in and make sure your child is on track for healthy relationships and emotional well-being.

We’ll follow up with you after the screening to share results, answer questions, and provide resources if needed.