Practitioners' perceptions of the ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool for use in Aboriginal children: A preliminary survey

Aim: To determine health practitioners' experience of using the culturally adapted Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Talking about Raising Aboriginal Kids (ASQ-TRAK) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) with Australian Aboriginal families and their perception about parents' acceptability and understanding of the instruments. 

Methods: We surveyed a convenience sample of practitioners who had used both the ASQ-TRAK and the ASQ-3 developmental screening tools with Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory and South Australia. We compared their experience and perception about parents' acceptability and understanding of both instruments. 

Results: All 38 respondents used the ASQ-3 and 35 the ASQ-TRAK; 100% rated the ASQ-TRAK as more acceptable and easier to understand for parents compared with 68% (P < 0.001) and 52.6% (P < 0.001), respectively, for the ASQ-3. A greater proportion of respondents were satisfied using the ASQ-TRAK (100%) than the ASQ-3 (65.7%) (P = 0.003). A higher proportion indicated that the ASQ-TRAK was respectful (85.3% compared with ASQ-3 27.8%, P < 0.001), culturally relevant (70.6% compared to 16.2%, P < 0.001) and engaging (76.5% compared to 16.2%, P < 0.001). 

Qualitative exploration of respondents' comments supported the quantitative findings. The ASQ-TRAK was considered more culturally appropriate, engaging and useful. 

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the culturally adapted ASQ-TRAK is preferred to the ASQ-3 by health practitioners in the Australian Aboriginal context. Failing to address cultural and linguistic factors and applying measurement tools developed for one population to another, is problematic in any setting. While further research is required to explore parents' experience directly, these data provide support for the ASQ-TRAK to be used in this context.