The AAP recommends conducting developmental surveillance at every health supervision visit and conducting general developmental screening using evidence-based tools at 9, 18, and 30 months, or whenever a concern is expressed. In addition, autism-specific screening is recommended at ages 18 and 24 months, and social-emotional screening is recommended at regular intervals.​

Complete either the ASQ®-3 or ASQ®-SE-2. Help Me Grow Kern recommends you complete BOTH of the tests in your first sitting. Once the results are reviewed by our Help Me Grow Care Coordinator, parents will be contacted to be notified of their child’s results and, if needed, refer families to services in our community they may find helpful. There are three levels of result:

WHITE = your child is screening in the typical range of development.

GREY= your child is within range, but there may be some indicators for concern that you can watch. Parents can download a list of activities they can do at home which they may find helpful in encouraging further growth. Recommendations for follow up screenings will be made.

BLACK= there are concerns that your child may not be developing to their potential, in which case a Help Me Grow staff member will reach out to you directly to provide local agencies you may reach out to for further assessment. Your contact information will be provided to KBHRS with the purpose that they provide recommendations for medical assessments and answer any questions you may have.

There are three ways you can complete the screening – which should only take 10-15 minutes per test.

1. Call 2-1-1 Kern County – a developmental specialist can walk you through it over the phone.
2. You can click the COMPLETE THE SCREENING tab at the bottom of this page.
3. A developmental specialist from 2-1-1 can send a link to the online test to your phone via text message.

As a parent, you are uniquely in tune with the development of your child. You know what they can and cannot do. This allows your child to complete the screening without the added pressure of your child being tested by someone they aren’t familiar with. This will help paint a more accurate picture of your child’s progress. Some pediatricians in Kern County already require children to perform developmental screenings (such as ASQ®) prior to being seen.

Developmental screenings are recommended to be performed through 8-years old, but Help Me Grow focuses on birth through five years of age. The AAP recommends three screenings by the child’s third birthday.

The Help Me Grow staff will reach out to the parents/guardians to share results, and if necessary, make appropriate referrals to agencies such as Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, Kern Regional Center, or others.

Parents will not receive the results of their online tests immediately, but it’s important to keep in mind that children grow and develop at their own pace, and the majority of children are within the normal range for development. If parents take the online version, when finished they will be presented with links to activities they can use to work with their children to encourage further development.

No, Help Me Grow does not provide direct services, we simply provide the screenings and connect families with further resources should they be needed. Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services can perform more in-depth medical assessments and provide a host of professional services designed to assist young children.

There is no cost associated with performing the screening through Help Me Grow. First 5 Kern, with support from a Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) grant from Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Systems, has partnered with CAPK and their 2-1-1 Kern County program to offer this service to families. The only costs that your family may incur would be related to additional services you choose to seek for your child. The screening is free. Local Family Resource Centers may also be able to assist in completing the ASQ® screenings in person.

The ASQ®-3 and ASQ®-SE-2 are both available in English and Spanish. Links to the online version in both languages is at the bottom of this page.

You do not need to do both at the same time, however, each unique visit to the ASQ®-online website will require a brief ‘profile’ be set up for your child. If you complete both tests in one sitting, you will only need to set up the profile once.