Biopsychosocial Script/Questions
Script for parent/guardian “extended call” which will be used to gather biopsychosocial data
Reminders
● The priority for any parent phone call is to develop and maintain engagement with a parent. That
takes priority over gathering any sort of information.
○ If at any point you notice that the parent is uncomfortable with these questions or this
process you can simply ask “Is there anything that you think would be important for me
to know as I begin working with your child?” rather than going through these questions
● We are not using clinical language with parents or referencing the biopsychosocial assessment
terminology. We are labeling this as an “extended phone call”.
● This should be more of a conversation with a parent, and not done “interview style”. We don’t
want to rapid-fire questions at parents. Give them a chance to respond. You can prompt for
more information by saying something like “tell me more about that”.
● Spend some time role playing these questions with the other intern you are placed with. We can
also role play this conversation during supervisions.
Script/Questions: (questions are listed in the order that is typically best to ask them in)
Thank you so much for making the time to speak with me today. I just wanted to take the opportunity to hear
from you a bit and get your perspective regarding Aria
It’s really important for me to make sure that I’m not missing anything that might be important or helpful for me
to know.
PAUSE, WAIT FOR RESPONSE
Developmental history
Why don’t we start from the beginning. Tell me about how Aria did developmentally as an infant and young
child.
Did everything go as expected or was there anything unusual that stood out to you?
Potential follow up questions:
Did he/she meet his milestones in the timeframe that you expected? (walking, talking, etc).
Tell me how you would describe his/her temperament as an infant or young child.
For instance, some children are really active, others are not, some kids seem to be always smiling and happy,
others may be a little more serious or fidgety. Some kids love a lot of sensory stimulation and can move on
quickly between activities, others need a lower amount of sensory stimulation and more time in between
activities.
School history
Let’s talk a bit about Aria’s school experiences. Did she go to preschool? Does anything stand out to you
regarding his/her experiences there or during any other grades?
Potential follow up questions:
Was there ever any separation anxiety? Or Some students have trouble separating from their parents during
their earlier school experiences. Did that come up for you at all?
Was there ever any academic or learning challenges?
Were there ever any friendship challenges or bullying scenarios that worried you?
Were there ever any concerns for his/her behavior at school?
Social history / Strengths / Relationships
How would you say Aria does interacting with his/her classmates and friends? Some kids are real social
butterflies and others prefer more alone time. How would you describe your child?
(if this came up during the question before this one feel free to skip)
What special interests does he/she like to do at home or outside of school?
Potential follow up questions:
Anything in particular that he likes to do with friends or family members?
How does he/she spend time by him/herself?
What would you say some of Avery’s strengths and interests are? (What is he or she good at, what positive
qualities does he/she have that stand out to you)
Family information & family history
How does Aria interact with everyone at home? If I remember correctly I think you mentioned she has a
brother.
Who else is in the household?
Have there ever been any family changes that come to mind that may have impacted Aria
(parents may need examples of what you mean by this - you can say big moves, separation/divorce, family
members passing away, etc)
Is there any family history on either side of the family that would be helpful for me to know? (parents may need
examples of what you mean by this - medical challenges, mental health challenges, etc)
Does your child/family identify with any particular religion or spiritual practice?
Miscellaneous
Is there anything that I didn’t think to ask that you’d like for me to know as we work together?
Ending
Thank you so much for your time and all of this information that you shared. I will be sure to focus on working
on building up her social skills and anxiety. I will continue to check in with you periodically. Don’t hesitate to
reach out at any time if there’s anything further you’d like to follow up about