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A Review of Level 2 Parent-Report Instruments Used to Screen Children Aged 1.5–5 for Autism: A Meta-Analytic Update

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Abstract

The present study utilized meta-analytic procedures to estimate the diagnostic validity of instruments used to screen young children, ages 1.5–5 years, for autism. Five scales met inclusion criteria, and data from 18 studies contributed the meta-analysis. Results revealed that 4 of 5 scales met criteria for “good” validity, including two broad band scales (instruments not restricted to screening for autism). The current results suggest that validity differences might be a function of how instruments sample across the DSM content domains. Specifically, high validity instruments included a higher proportion of items assessing social interaction skills. The availability of valid broad- and narrow-band instruments, as well as implications for constructing future screening instruments, is discussed.

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Notes

  1. Because the evaluated screening instruments were developed and evaluated within the timeframe of the DSM-IV-TR, it is that edition, rather than the more recent DSM-5, that is relevant for evaluating these instruments. For the DSM-IV-TR the unequal weighting of the three domains is reflected in the fact that, although a similar number of symptoms are listed within each of the three autism domains, a formal diagnosis requires 2 symptoms from the social interaction domain and only 1 symptom from the communication and RRSBIA domains. Similarly, all four modules of the ADOS include a higher proportion of items that assess social interaction domain skills than skills from the other two domains (Lord et al. 2000).

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to David Marcus and Maria Gartstein for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA

    Justin Hampton & Paul S. Strand

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  1. Justin Hampton
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Correspondence to Justin Hampton.

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Hampton, J., Strand, P.S. A Review of Level 2 Parent-Report Instruments Used to Screen Children Aged 1.5–5 for Autism: A Meta-Analytic Update. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 2519–2530 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2419-4

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