Denver Prescreening

Developmental Questionnaire
II
What it is and how to use it

Denver Prescreening
Developmental Questionnaire II
(Denver PDQ II)
Is based on sound research

Is quick and easy to administer and score

Is a parent completed questionnaire
Is used with EHS infants under 4 months of age
Is used to find out what (if any) concerns a parent
might have about the baby
Has questions arranged in chronological order of
when a typically developing child can usually
perform the tasks referenced
Is to be completed in BLUE INK ONLY!!!

Denver PDQ II
Is NOT intended to diagnose
or determine that there is a
problem
Is NOT able to be copiedyou MUST use an original
orange screening

Related Performance
Standard
1304.20 (b) (1):

(b) Screening for developmental, sensory, and

behavioral concerns.
(1) In collaboration with each child's parent, and
within 45 calendar days of the child's entry into the
program, grantee and delegate agencies must
perform or obtain linguistically and age appropriate
screening procedures to identify concerns regarding
a child's developmental, sensory (visual and
auditory), behavioral, motor, language, social,
cognitive, perceptual, and emotional skills (see 45
CFR 1308.6(b)(3) for additional information). To the
greatest extent possible, these screening
procedures must be sensitive to the child's cultural
background.

Denver PDQ II
Administration
1. Write the childs name, testing date, and
birth date on the form.
2. Person Completing PDQ II and
Relation to Child both refer to the
parent/guardian answering the
questions.
3. Staff will complete the age calculation in
the upper right corner of the screening
form.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Age calculation:
Calculate Childs Exact Age first by subtracting
the childs birth date from Todays Date.
If you have to borrow days, ADD 30 days to
todays date and SUBTRACT 1 month from
todays month.
If you have to borrow months, ADD 12 months
to todays month (or what you have left after
borrowing days). Then, SUBTRACT 1 year from
todays year.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Example of calculating Childs Exact Age:
9 yr

Todays Date:

= 21
+12 mo
= 45
9 mo +30 days

2010 yr

10 mo

15 day

Childs Birthdate: - 2009 yr

12 mo

30 day

9 mo

15 day

Childs Actual Age:

0 yr

In example above, we are setting todays date as Oct. 15, 2010

and using a child with the birthdate Dec. 30, 2009.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Calculate the Childs Exact Age in the following
example:
Todays Date:

2010 yr

9 mo

Childs Birthdate: - 2010 yr

5 mo

Childs Actual Age=

8 day
16 day
?

In example above, we are setting todays date as Sept. 8, 2010

and using a child with the birthdate May 16, 2010.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Answer:

0 yr, 3 mo, 22 days

= 38
8 mo +30 days

Todays Date:

2010 yr

9 mo

8 day

Childs Birthdate: - 2010 yr

5 mo

16 day

Childs Actual Age:

3 mo

22 day

0 yr

In example above, we are setting todays date as Sept. 9, 2010

and using a child with the birthdate May 16, 2010.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Lets do another one:
Todays Date:

2010 yr

8 mo

Childs Birthdate: - 2009 yr

9 mo

10 day
13 day

Childs Actual Age

In example above, we are setting todays date as Aug. 10, 2010

and using a child with the birthdate Sept. 13, 2009.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Answer= 0 yr, 10 mo, and 27 days
9 yr

Todays Date:

= 19
+12 mo
= 40
7 mo +30 days

2010 yr

8 mo

Childs Birthdate: - 2009 yr

9 mo

13 day

10 mo

27 day

Childs Actual Age:

0 yr

10 day

In example above, we are setting todays date as Aug. 10, 2010

and using a child with the birthdate Sept. 13, 2009.

Denver PDQ II Administration

After calculating the Childs Exact Age, you
will need to calculate the PDQ II age.
For children under 24 months of age, the PDQ II
age is expressed in completed months and
weeks, as shown below.
Childs Exact Age: 1 yr

8 mo
+12

PDQ II Age:

- yr

20 mo

20 days
7

2 completed weeks

NOTE: Only completed months and completed weeks

are to be counted when calculating the PDQ II Age.
DO NOT round up to the next higher age to express
PDQ II Age.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Find the childs PDQ II Age in the following
example:

Childs Exact Age: 1 yr

6 mo

PDQ II Age:

26 days
?

Remember: Only completed months and completed

weeks are to be counted when calculating the PDQ II
Age

Denver PDQ II Administration

Answer= 18 mo and 3 completed weeks

Childs Exact Age: 1 yr

6 mo
+12

PDQ II Age:

- yr

18 mo

26 days
7

3 completed weeks

Remember: Only completed months and completed

weeks are to be counted when calculating the PDQ II
Age

Denver PDQ II Administration

Give the prepared form to the childs parent.
Allow parent to answer questions until EITHER:
1) 3 NOs have been circled (note that they do
not have to be in a row)
OR
2) All of the questions on both sides of the form
have been answered.

Denver PDQ II Administration

Review the Yes and No responses with the
parent to make sure that the parent understood
each of the questions answered and marked
them correctly.

Denver PDQ II Scoring

Identify delays
A delay is any item passed by 90% of children
at a younger age than the child being screened.
Ages at which 90% of children in the Denver II
sample passed the items are listed under 90%
in the For Office Use column.
These ages are shown in months and weeks.
(for example, 20-2 means 20 months, 2
weeks).
Mark delays by circling the 90% age to the right
of the item that the child was not able to perform.

Denver PDQ II Scoring

Identify cautions
A caution is any item passed by 75% of
children at a younger age than the child being
screened.
Ages at which 75% of children in the Denver II
sample passed the items are listed under 75%
in the For Office Use column.
Mark cautions by circling the 75% age to the
right of the item that the child was not able to
perform.

Denver PDQ II Scoring

Example of delays and cautions:
PDQ II Age: 3 mo 3 completed weeks

delay

cautio
n

Denver PDQ II Scoring

Children who have no delays or cautions are
considered to be developing normally.
If a child has one delay or two cautions, the
caregiver should be given some age-appropriate
developmental activities to pursue with the child.
Children who have two or more delays or three
or more cautions will need to have an ICOPA
(Individualized Child Outcome Plan of Action)
completed.
In the ICOPA meeting, the parent can choose if
s/he wants to have the child re-screened in 2
weeks or if s/he wants an immediate referral to
ECI.

Lets Review

What do the letters

PDQ stand for?

Lets Review

Prescreening
Developmental
Questionnaire

Lets Review

With what age

group are we
going to use the
Denver PDQ II?

Lets Review

Infants under 4 months

Lets Review

At what point should

you ask the parent to
stop answering PDQ II
questions?

Lets Review

When 3 NOs have

been circled
OR
Both sides of the form
have been completed

Lets Review

Do the NOs have to

be consecutive (in a
row)?

Lets Review

No

Questions?
Jennifer Crookham
Mental Health & Disability Manager
(806) 891- 2156
Dianne Taylor
EHS Assistant & HS/EHS Home Base Coordinator
(806) 762-8815