Afghan Cultural Adaptation of the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC)

SWYC forms

Per TEAM UP for Children: The SWYC, "The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)™ is a freely available, comprehensive screening instrument for children under 5 years of age. The SWYC was written to be simple to answer, short, and easy to read.

The entire instrument requires 15 minutes or less to complete and is straightforward to score and interpret. The SWYC is approved by MassHealth for compliance with the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative screening guidelines."

TEAM UP for Children: Translations
The SWYC has been translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Chuuksee, Khmer, Burmese, Nepali, Haitian-Creole, Vietnamese, Samoan, Somali, Arabic, Tagalog, and Bengali.

Trauma considerations for medical providers

During developmental screening of Afghanistan refugee children, it is paramount to remember that the exposure to trauma can influence their developmental screening results. As with many children, they most likely screen within normal developmental parameters. However, if a delay(s) is identified, it may be influenced by recent past traumatic experiences that should be factored into the interpretation and referral options. In addition, traumatic experiences may also contribute to both externalizing (hyperactivity, opposition/defiance, aggression) and/or internalizing (anxiety, depression) behaviors which may also influence the developmental screen. The provider should synthesize the results to help determine the optimal option and timing for rescreening and/or referral.

There are resources available to providers seeking additional information regarding children who have experienced trauma. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMSHA outlines an approach to trauma-informed care that incorporates four key elements:

1. Realizing the widespread impact of trauma.
2. Recognizing how trauma may affect clients, staff, and others in the program, organization, or system.
3. Responding by applying knowledge about trauma into practice; and
4. Preventing re-traumatization. Refer to SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach.

Information for parents and guardians

Based on focus group discussions with Afghan families and their identified needs, we developed an explanatory document in Dari and Pashto for Afghan newcomers who may not be familiar with developmental screening tools.

• Introduction to Developmental Screening for Parents and Guardians (English) (PDF)
• Introduction to Developmental Screening for Parents and Guardians (Dari) (PDF)
• Introduction to Developmental Screening for Parents and Guardians (Pashto) (PDF)

Dari and Pashto SWYC translations

A workgroup composed of subject matter experts was formed to facilitate the translation and cultural adaptation of the Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)™ developmental screening tool in Pashto and Dari for Afghan newcomers to the U.S. This process ensured linguistic and cultural accuracy of the SWYC for the Afghan newcomer community, making it more accessible and relevant for caregivers.

Dari/English Bilingual SWYC Forms: Complete Set (PDF)

Pashto/English Bilingual SWYC Forms: Complete Set (PDF)

Each complete set includes the following age-specific forms:

• 2 Month Form (1 month, 0 days to 3 months, 31 days)
• 4 Month Form (4 months, 0 days to 5 months, 31 days)
• 6 Month Form (6 months, 0 days to 8 months, 31 days)
• 9 Month Form (9 months, 0 days to 11 months, 31 days)
• 12 Month Form (12 months, 0 days to 14 months, 31 days)
• 15 Month Form (15 months, 0 days to 17 months, 31 days)
• 18 Month Form (18 months, 0 days to 22 months, 31 days)
• 24 Month Form (23 months, 0 days to 28 months, 31 days)
• 30 Month Form (29 months, 0 days to 34 months, 31 days)
• 36 Month Form (35 months, 0 days to 46 months, 31 days)
• 48 Month Form (47 months, 0 days to 58 months, 31 days)
• 60 Month Form (59 months, 0 days to 65 months, 31 days)