title: A structured parent interview for identifying young children with autism.
abstract: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Parent Interview for Autism (PIA), a structured interview for gathering diagnostic information from parents of young children with autism. Internal consistency was evaluated in a sample of 165 children under 6 years old, and test-retest reliability and construct validity were evaluated in subsamples of the original group. Results revealed internal  consistency and test-retest reliability above .60 for 9 of the 11 dimensions constituting the PIA, as well as significant correlations between the PIA and other measures of autism. Six of the PIA dimensions differentiated a group of young children with autism from a developmentally comparable group with mental retardation. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hogan
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior