title: Systematic Review of the Measurement Properties of Tools Used to Measure Behaviour Problems in Young Children with Autism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behaviour problems are common in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are many different tools used to measure behavior problems but little is known about their validity for the population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the measurement properties of behaviour problems tools used in evaluation of intervention or observational research studies with children with ASD up to the age of six years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Behaviour measurement tools were identified as part of a larger, two stage, systematic review. First, sixteen major electronic databases, as well as grey literature and research registers were searched, and tools used listed and categorized. Second, using methodological filters, we searched for articles examining the measurement properties of the tools in use with young children with ASD in ERIC, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. The quality of these papers was then evaluated using the COSMIN checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified twelve tools which had been used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD, and fifteen studies which investigated the measurement properties of six of these tools. There was no evidence available for the remaining six tools. Two questionnaires were found to be the most robust in their measurement properties, the Child Behavior Checklist and the Home Situations Questionnaire-Pervasive Developmental Disorders version.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found patchy evidence on reliability and validity, for only a few of the tools used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD. More systematic research is required on measurement properties of tools for use in this population, in particular to establish responsiveness to change which is essential in measurement of outcomes of intervention.
  CRD42012002223.
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanratty
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nuala
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Livingstone
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robalino
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Terwee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glod
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Inalegwu P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Oono
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.affiliation: School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McConachie
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010556:Personality Tests; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires