Ages 0-5

The DD 0-5 PAS tool is designed to assess the following:

During the interview, write down your observations, and take the time to discuss any differences between what is reported by the caregiver and what is seen or read in medical records to ensure accurate scoring. See “Scoring when medical records are not available or conflict with reported function” in PAS Documentation for more guidance.
Answer items based on the child’s performance now, not based on the way the skills were performed at the ages indicated on the PAS tool.

NOTE There are some questions with an exception. These questions are called Precursor Skills. See definition below.

All available, pertinent records should be reviewed prior to completing the PAS scoring to supplement information gathered at the interview.
Don’t assume a child can perform skills based on their performance in other developmental age ranges. Many children with developmental delays have Scattered Skills. See definition below.
At the PAS interview, read all the questions exactly as they are worded on the PAS tool. Do not paraphrase the questions. Further explanation can be given if the question is not understood, however that should be done only after reading the full question as it is written.
If the parent or caregiver’s response to the question is “sometimes” ask more questions to assess what is meant by “sometimes” and determine the proper score. If the skill is emerging, and a child has just begun to perform the milestone, the answer would be “Yes” regardless of how well they do it.
Enter a comment for ALL questions asked. Include who reported the information, what the answer was (Yes or No), and any additional information given.

Term	Definition
Emerging Skills	New skills that the child is just beginning to do. They are skills that the child has not mastered yet.
Precursor Skills	Developmental skills that are usually attained before learning a more advanced skill.
Reverse Scoring	The scoring is reversed for questions 9, 63, 64, 65, 76, 77, 78, and 79. A “Yes,” response indicates potential for a serious problem and has a weighted numerical score.
Scattered Skills	Scattered skills are common with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A child may perform several skills within a certain range of developmental checklists but may have some skills in that range that are missing completely. For example, a child has age-appropriate gross and fine motor skills but shows significant delays with their communication and social skills.