Since 2000, the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Screener has been widely used nationally, by states, internationally and by researchers and service providers as valid, standardized and brief survey-based method to identify populations of children who experience chronic physical, mental, behavioral, or other health conditions and who also require an above routine type and/or amount of health and related services than generally required by children. Common questions about the CSHCN Screener (CS) include those related to its development and uses; its conceptual framework and potential for under- or over-identification; its ability to stratify CSHCN by complexity of service needs and daily life impacts; and its potential application in clinical settings and comparisons with other identification approaches. This review recaps the development, design, and findings from the use of the CS and synthesizes findings from studies conducted over the past 13 years as well as updated findings on the CS to briefly address the 12 most common questions asked about this tool through technical assistance provided regarding the CS since 2001.

Access the Taking Stock paper here.

Related Resources: 
Get a copy of our national technical report on identifying children, youth and adults with special health care needs.

Read our initial two papers validating the CSHCN Screener:
1. Identifying children with special health care needs
2. Comparing the CSHCN Screener to the QulCC-R

Read our paper on using the CSHCN Screener in the CAHPS survey for children and Measuring Medical Home.