Your activity: 24 p.v.
your limit has been reached. plz Donate us to allow your ip full access, Email: sshnevis@outlook.com

Screening tools for autism spectrum disorder

Screening tools for autism spectrum disorder
Tool Age Description Sensitivity/specificity Validation Comment
M-CHAT-R/F 16 to 30 months
  • 20 caregiver-report items
  • Takes approximately 5 minutes to administer and 2 minutes to score
  • Available in English, Spanish, and other languages from the Official M-CHAT Website
  • Sensitivity: 85%
  • Specificity: 99%
  • >15,000 children in primary care practices
Validated as first-tier screen*. Assesses risk of ASD as low, medium, or high. Children at medium risk require structured follow-up questions for additional information before referral for diagnostic evaluation. Follow-up interview takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
STAT 24 to 36 months
  • 12 observed activities during 20-minute play session
  • Requires training for administration and scoring
  • Sensitivity: 92 to 95%
  • Specificity: 73 to 85%
  • 52 children with ASD and other developmental disorders and 71 high-risk children
Not validated as a first-tier screen*. Language comprehension is not required.
ITC 6 to 24 months
  • 24-item questionnaire, a component of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP)
  • Positive predictive value: 75%
  • 10,479 infants screened at one-year health supervision visit
The CSBS-DP is a broadband screen for communication delays but has not been validated as a screen for ASD.
POSI 18 to 35 months
  • 7-item caregiver-report items, a component of the Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC)
  • Takes ≤5 minutes to complete
  • Sensitivity: 83%
  • Specificity: 74%
  • 232 children (16 to 36 months) from primary care and specialty clinics
Additional studies in community samples are necessary before the POSI can be recommended as a first-tier screen*.
  • Sensitivity: 89%
  • Specificity: 54%
  • 217 children (18 to 48 months) from specialty clinic
SCQ 4 to 40 years
  • 40 caregiver-report items (yes/no)
  • Takes <10 minutes to administer and <5 minutes to score
  • Sensitivity: 85%
  • Specificity: 75%
  • 200 high-risk patients
Additional studies are necessary before the SCQ can be used as a first-tier screen*. Nonverbal children may require different cut-off scores.
  • Sensitivity: not reported
  • Specificity: not reported
  • 90% of children who failed (SCQ score ≥15) had a neurodevelopmental disorder
  • 247 low-risk children from school or general population
ASSQ 7 to 16 years
  • 27-item checklist to be completed by caregivers or teachers
  • Takes approximately 10 minutes to complete
  • Varies depending upon the cut-off score:
    • Sensitivity: 91%
    • Specificity: 86%

(with cut-off score ≥17)

  • 9430 children (7 to 9 years)
Validated as first-tier screen*. Designed as a first-tier screen for children with high-functioning ASD. Clinicians can individualize cut-off scores to meet their diagnostic needs.
AQ-Child 4 to 11 years
  • Caregiver-report measure
  • Sensitivity: 95%
  • Specificity: 95%
  • 540 children with ASD, 1225 children from the general population
Additional studies are necessary before the AQ-Child can be recommended as a first-tier screening* tool.
DBC-ASA 4 to 18 years
  • 29 caregiver-report items from the DBC-P
  • Sensitivity: 86%
  • Specificity: 79%
(with cut-off score of 17)
  • 180 children with ASD and 180 controls (matched for age, sex, and IQ-range)
For use in children with intellectual disability.
DBC-ES 18 to 48 months
  • 17 caregiver-report items from the DBC-P
  • Sensitivity: 88%
  • Specificity: 69%
(with cut-off score of ≥10.5)
  • 60 children with developmental delay and ASD and 60 controls (developmental delay without ASD)
For use in children with developmental delay.
  • Sensitivity: 83%
  • Specificity: 48%
(with cut-off score of 11)
  • 207 children from the community

M-CHAT-R/F: Modified CHAT, Revised with Follow-Up; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; STAT: Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children; ITC: Infant Toddler Checklist; POSI: Parent's Observations of Social Interactions; SCQ: Social Communication Questionnaire; ASSQ: Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire; AQ-Child: Autism Spectrum Quotient-Children's Version; DBC-ASA: Developmental Behaviour Checklist-Autism Screening Algorithm; IQ: intelligence quotient; DBC-P: Developmental Behaviour Checklist for Pediatrics; DBC-ES: Developmental Behaviour Checklist-Early Screen.

* First-tier screening tools are used to identify children at risk for ASD from a general population; second-tier screening tools are used to discriminate ASD from other developmental disorders in children with developmental concerns.
Graphic 71355 Version 14.0