6 Big Benefits of ASQ Online

When it comes to supporting healthy development for all young children, creating and running a successful screening program is a huge leap forward. But screening success is a balancing act, one that demands time, resources, and lots of coordination. Low parent engagement, time-consuming paperwork, human error, and inefficient data management are some common barriers to achieving the ultimate goal: universal screening followed by thorough and effective family support.

If your program isn’t using ASQ Online yet, today’s post is a good reminder of why a web-based system like this one is a must for effective screening. Here are 6 key benefits of ASQ Online, enhanced with comments from users who have seen these advantages first-hand.

Meets your program’s specific needs. When you subscribe to ASQ Online, you choose a plan that meets your program’s unique needs. For example, you may want to use the system strictly to manage screening results, or you can opt to offer families online questionnaire completion as well. If your program has multiple physical locations, an account that links together all screening data may be your best bet.

Manages everything in one convenient place. Having ASQ Online for data management lets you manage every aspect of the screening process from a central, user-friendly hub, making every step faster and easier. By transitioning from manual screening management to ASQ Online, programs of all sizes have boosted the efficiency, accuracy, and impact of their screening efforts. “I love the simplicity of ASQ Online…It enables us to easily track screening data in one central location,” says Mandy Zeschke, program coordinator for Davis Early Intervention in Utah.

Raises screening rates while facilitating family engagement. Through ASQ Online’s Family Access feature, programs can send out ASQ questionnaires to be completed electronically. By making screening more convenient and empowering busy families to answer questions on their own terms, screening rates usually go way up. You can set up notifications and screening reminders, and even share activity ideas with the tap of a button. The online system even prevents parents from accidentally skipping items, helping ensure questionnaires are complete and results are accurate. “Most of our parents are digitally minded,” says Kali Ottesen, director of Help Me Grow Utah. “Without the online screening option, we would have much fewer parents engaged in our program.”

Syncs with your current database. ASQ Online users don’t need to worry about maintaining and matching multiple records for the children in their program. The system’s convenient automated programming interface (API) functionality allows you to automatically sync with your current databases. You can also add custom fields to collect and store additional information.

Slashes your paperwork. Screening typically requires a lot of data entry and paperwork, taking up time that staff would rather spend helping families and increasing the risk of errors from manual calculations. ASQ Online streamlines the entire screening workflow by automating everyday tasks like questionnaire selection, age adjustments, and even scoring. “ASQ Online has streamlined our screening program’s record keeping,” says Patti Smith, a special needs coordinator from Champlain Valley Head Start in Vermont. “When screenings were completed on paper, they needed to be scanned or faxed from across our large coverage area to be uploaded to our database. Now, as soon as the screening is completed, it can be recorded and added to the child’s file.”

Produces data that’s easier to analyze and use. “ASQ Online allows us to easily run a wide range of reports that would be cumbersome with paper forms,” says Kelly Friedland, a data specialist with Michigan’s Jackson County Intermediate School District. You can easily run reports on screening status and analyze results by program, developmental area, interval, and more—ensuring that you recognize larger trends in child development and that every child gets the follow-through they deserve. Having screening results fast and at your fingertips also helps you communicate with parents and other stakeholders and make recommendations for further assessment, education, and intervention. (Learn more in our ASQ Online Reports Guide.)

Users agree that ASQ Online is a smart investment for early childhood programs. “The easy data entry, available aggregated reports, and scheduling of tasks and screenings make ASQ Online well worth the investment,” says Smokie Brawley, the statewide project manager for North Carolina’s Healthy Social Behaviors Project. If your program is ready for a new solution to your biggest screening barriers, take a big step in the right direction—learn more about ASQ Online at the links below, and get a customized quote today.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

WATCH a live product demo—ASQ experts will walk you through the system and answer any questions you might have.

READ a success story about the ever-expanding Help Me Grow Michigan initiative, which has been using ASQ Online for more than 10 years.

CONTACT a representative for an ASQ Online quote customized for your program.