The modified checklist for autism in toddlers: a follow-up study investigating the early detection of autism spectrum disorders.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often go undetected in toddlers. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was used to screen 3,793 children aged 16-30 months from low- and high-risk sources; screen positive cases were diagnostically evaluated. Rescreening was performed on 1,416 children aged 42-54 months. Time 1 Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was .36 for the initial screening and .74 for the screening plus follow-up telephone interview; values were similar for Time2 PPV. When separating referral sources, PPV was low for the low-risk sample but acceptable with the followup telephone interview. Children with ASD from the low-risk and high-risk samples were highly similar. Results indicate that the M-CHAT continues to be a promising instrument for the early detection of ASD.
Kleinman
Jamie M
JM
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA. jamie_kleinman@yahoo.com
Robins
Diana L
DL
Ventola
Pamela E
PE
Pandey
Juhi
J
Boorstein
Hilary C
HC
Esser
Emma L
EL
Wilson
Leandra B
LB
Rosenthal
Michael A
MA
Sutera
Saasha
S
Verbalis
Alyssa D
AD
Barton
Marianne
M
Hodgson
Sarah
S
Green
James
J
Dumont-Mathieu
Thyde
T
Volkmar
Fred
F
Chawarska
Katarzyna
K
Klin
Ami
A
Fein
Deborah
D
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires