diff --git a/uast/nodes/node.go b/uast/nodes/node.go
index 8fd3ef61..1f97b5ae 100644
--- a/uast/nodes/node.go
+++ b/uast/nodes/node.go
@@ -948,3 +948,29 @@ func UniqueKey(n Node) Comparable {
 		return unkPtr(ptr)
 	}
 }
+
+// ChildrenCount reports the number of immediate children of n. If n is an Array this is
+// the length of the array. If n is an Object, each object in a field of n counts as
+// one child and each array is counted as its length.
+func ChildrenCount(n Node) int {
+	switch n := n.(type) {
+	case nil:
+		return 0
+	case Value:
+		return 0
+	case Array:
+		return len(n)
+	case Object:
+		c := 0
+		for _, v := range n {
+			switch v := v.(type) {
+			case Object:
+				c++
+			case Array:
+				c += len(v)
+			}
+		}
+		return c
+	}
+	return 0
+}
diff --git a/uast/nodes/node_test.go b/uast/nodes/node_test.go
index 84572f3a..92aba6aa 100644
--- a/uast/nodes/node_test.go
+++ b/uast/nodes/node_test.go
@@ -38,6 +38,50 @@ func TestClone(t *testing.T) {
 	}, arr)
 }
 
+func TestChildrenCount(t *testing.T) {
+	var cases = []struct {
+		name string
+		node Node
+		exp  int
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "value",
+			node: Int(3),
+			exp:  0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "array",
+			node: Array{
+				Int(1),
+				Array{Int(2), Int(3)},
+				Object{
+					"a": Int(1),
+					"b": Int(2),
+				},
+			},
+			exp: 3,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "object",
+			node: Object{
+				"k1":  Int(1),
+				"k2":  Int(2),
+				"arr": Array{Int(2), Int(3)},
+				"obj": Object{
+					"a": Int(1),
+					"b": Int(2),
+				},
+			},
+			exp: 3,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, c.exp, ChildrenCount(c.node))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestApply(t *testing.T) {
 	o1 := Object{"v": Int(1)}
 	o2 := Object{"k": o1, "v": Int(2)}
diff --git a/uast/uast.go b/uast/uast.go
index 226a4ba8..7a54db42 100644
--- a/uast/uast.go
+++ b/uast/uast.go
@@ -182,7 +182,13 @@ func AsPosition(m nodes.Object) *Position {
 }
 
 // PositionsOf returns a complete positions map for the given UAST node.
-func PositionsOf(m nodes.Object) Positions {
+// The function will return nil for non-object nodes like arrays and values. To get
+// positions for these nodes, PositionsOf should be called on their parent node.
+func PositionsOf(n nodes.Node) Positions {
+	m, ok := n.(nodes.Object)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
 	o, _ := m[KeyPos].(nodes.Object)
 	if len(o) == 0 {
 		return nil
@@ -216,7 +222,12 @@ func RoleList(roles ...role.Role) nodes.Array {
 }
 
 // RolesOf is a helper for getting node UAST roles (see KeyRoles).
-func RolesOf(m nodes.Object) role.Roles {
+// The function will returns nil roles array for non-object nodes like arrays and values.
+func RolesOf(n nodes.Node) role.Roles {
+	m, ok := n.(nodes.Object)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
 	arr, ok := m[KeyRoles].(nodes.Array)
 	if !ok || len(arr) == 0 {
 		if tp := TypeOf(m); tp == "" || strings.HasPrefix(tp, NS+":") {
@@ -234,15 +245,19 @@ func RolesOf(m nodes.Object) role.Roles {
 }
 
 // TokenOf is a helper for getting node token (see KeyToken).
-func TokenOf(m nodes.Object) string {
-	t := m[KeyToken]
-	s, ok := t.(nodes.String)
-	if ok {
-		return string(s)
-	}
-	v, _ := t.(nodes.Value)
-	if v != nil {
-		return fmt.Sprint(v)
+// It returns an empty string if the node is not an object, or there is no token.
+func TokenOf(n nodes.Node) string {
+	switch n := n.(type) {
+	case nodes.String:
+		return string(n)
+	case nodes.Value:
+		return fmt.Sprint(n)
+	case nodes.Object:
+		t := n[KeyToken]
+		if t == nil {
+			return ""
+		}
+		return TokenOf(t)
 	}
 	return ""
 }