A Systematic Review of Instruments for Early Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders
International Journal of Psychology & Psychological Therapy
Ferre-Rey, G., Sánchez-Rodríguez, J., et al. (2019).
International Journal of Psychology & Psychological Therapy, 19(1), 29-38.
This systematic review investigates the psychometric properties of screening instruments for autism in children younger than 2 years of age.
Not stated
From database inception to January 2018
Published, English-language or Spanish-language empirical studies or reviews
9
For children younger than 2 years of age, this review identified several screening tools and reported the following sensitivity and specificity data:<br />
<ul>
<li>Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) showed a sensitivity of 1.0 and a specificity of 0.74-0.90.</li>
<li>Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) showed a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.70.</li>
<li>Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Toddler Module showed a sensitivity of 0.91 and a specificity of 0.94.</li>
<li>Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) failed to report sensitivity and specificity.</li>
<li>Baby and Infant Screen for Children with Autism Traits (BISCUIT) showed a sensitivity of 0.93 and a specificity of 0.86.</li>
<li>Checklist for Early Signs of Developmental Disorders (CESDD) showed a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.94.</li>
<li>Early Screening of Autistic Traits (ESAT) showed a sensitivity of 0.90 and a specificity of 0.81.</li>
<li>Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) showed a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.99.</li>
<li>Toddler Autism Screening Questionnaire (TASQ) showed a sensitivity of 0.1 and a specificity of 0.96.</li>
</ul>
Of these screening tools, the ADEC, ADI-R, ADOS-Toddler Module, and M-CHAT offer Spanish adaptations. The authors note that the M-CHAT and TASQ demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity with the fewest test items for shorter screening administration, while the BISCUIT shows high reliability but requires the administration of many test items. Additional research investigating screening tools for toddlers and young children is warranted.
