title: The screen for social interaction (SSI): a screening measure for autism spectrum disorders in preschoolers.
abstract: We report on the preliminary validity and utility of the Ghuman-Folstein Screen for Social Interaction (SSI), a measure of social interaction that can serve to screen for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in clinical samples of young high-risk children. Caregivers of 350 children (176 younger participants, ages 24-42 months, mean age = 34.1 months; and 174 older participants, ages 43 to 61 months, mean age = 52.4 months) with ASDs, non-ASD developmental and/or psychiatric disorders, or without developmental concerns completed the SSI. A series of analyses resulted in shortened versions of the SSI: a 26-item SSI-Younger (SSI-Y) and a 21-item SSI-Older (SSI-O) version. The SSI-Y and SSI-O showed moderate convergence with ASD diagnostic measures and significantly differentiated ASD and non-ASD clinical groups. Sensitivity and specificity values for discriminating ASD and non-ASD clinical participants were 0.87 and 0.71, respectively for the SSI-Y and 0.81 and 0.70, respectively for the SSI-O. Scoring recommendations were made based on the ROC results.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1501 N, Campbell Avenue Tucson, AZ 85724-5002, USA. jkghuman@email.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Jaswinder K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ghuman
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lecavalier
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Landa
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*