title: Use of the Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds (STAT) for children under 24 months: an exploratory study.
abstract: The study examined the properties of the Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds (STAT) for children under 24 months. The STAT provides a standard context for observing social-communicative behavior in play, imitation, and communication. Seventy-one children received the STAT between 12 and 23 months of age and a follow-up diagnostic evaluation after 24 months. All had an older sibling with an autism spectrum diagnosis (n=59) or had been referred for evaluation for concerns about autism (n=12). Signal detection analysis resulted in a cut score of 2.75 for this sample, which yielded a sensitivity of 0.95, specificity of 0.73, positive predictive value of 0.56, and negative predictive value of 0.97. False positives were highest for the 12- to 13-month-old age group; STAT screening properties were improved when the sample was limited to children 14 months and older. Implications for using the STAT with children under 24 months are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, USA. wendy.stone@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Caitlin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Lynnette M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires