Sensitivity and Specificity of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Original and Revised): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
JAMA Pediatrics
Wieckowski, A. T., Williams, L. N., et al. (2023).
JAMA Pediatrics, 177(4), 373-383.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the sensitivity and specificity of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the M-CHAT, Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F) for screening young children, birth to 48 months, before a diagnosis of autism.
None declared
January 1, 2001 to August 31, 2022
Published, peer-reviewed, English-language studies with data. Excludes reviews, commentaries, and conference articles.
50 studies with 51 study samples included for review and meta-analysis
<div>Meta-analysis of studies investigating the psychometric properties of autism screening tools for toddlers found that the M-CHAT and M-CHAT-R/F demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.83 (95% CI=0.77-0.88) and a pooled specificity of 0.94 (95% CI=0.89-0.97). Using the follow-up portion of the M-CHAT-R/F significantly reduced false-positive rates were noted. The authors conclude that either version of the M-CHAT "shows strong overall sensitivity and specificity, and research with the tool indicates that screening early and at multiple time points is critical to identify children" (p. 381) who have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with autism and who will need early intervention services.</div>
