Screening for Autism in Iranian Preschoolers: Contrasting M-CHAT and a Scale Developed in Iran.
Suitable screening instruments for the early diagnosis of autism are not readily available for use with preschoolers in non-Western countries. This study evaluated two tools: M-CHAT which is widely used internationally and one developed in Iran called Hiva. A population sample was recruited of nearly 3000 preschoolers in one Iranian city. Parents self-completed the two tools and children who screened positive were invited for a follow-up interview followed by a diagnostic assessment. The Hiva scale proved to be more efficacious in identifying children with ASD and the resulting prevalence rate was higher than that previously reported for Iranian 5 year olds. The study confirms the need to attune screening tools to the cultural contexts in which they are used.
Institute of Nursing and Health Research, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland, UK.
Sayyed Ali
SA
Samadi
Roy
R
McConkey
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010290:Parents