Toddler Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Sánchez-García, A. B., Galindo-Villardón, P., et al. (2019).
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(5), 1837-1852.
This is a meta-analysis investigates the diagnostic accuracy and pooled psychometric properties of Level 1 screening tools for identifying autism in toddlers, 14 to 36 months of age.
Ministry of Education, Spain; Fulbright Commission Spain
January 1992 to April 2015
Diagnostic studies
14
Results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that level 1 screening tools for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), had a pooled sensitivity of 0.72 (95% CI 0.61–0.81) and pooled specificity of 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99). These results indicated that level 1 ASD screening tools, such as the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT), and Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT), were accurate at detecting the presence of ASD (sensitivity) and highly accurate at detecting a lack of presence of ASD (specificity).
