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The Implications of Parent-Reported Emotional and Behavioral Problems on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers

  • S.I. : Early Detection In Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Abstract

Studies have shown that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening and diagnostic instruments may be affected by the presence of emotional and behavior problems (EBPs). This study assessed the impact of EBPs on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Participants included 290 children, 18–48 months of age, referred for ASD-related concerns. Those diagnosed with ASD had significantly lower externalizing EBPs compared to those who were not diagnosed with ASD. More externalizing symptoms and younger age were significantly predictive of an M-CHAT-R/F final score. Sensitivity and specificity was impacted by the age of the child. These results suggest that combining measures that assess EBPs and autism core symptoms may improve accuracy in this referred population.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the project coordinators, research staff, and clinicians at each site for their assistance (i.e., Rebecca Brewster, Catherine Bradley, PhD, Connie Brooks, PhD, Heather Dyer, Casey Irwin, Kristy Jackson, Melissa Mahurin, Amy Nicholson, Justine Park, Madeline Santulli, Amanda Shocklee, Nicole Takahashi, and Alison Vehorn). Special thanks to the families and participants without whom this study would not be possible.

Funding

This research was funded by grants from Cognoa, Inc.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Kourtney Christopher

    Present address: University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Psychology and Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri, 205 Portland Street, Columbia, MO, 65203, USA

    Kourtney Christopher & Stephen Kanne

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA

    Somer Bishop

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA

    Laura Arnstein Carpenter

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA

    Zachary Warren

Authors
  1. Kourtney Christopher
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  2. Somer Bishop
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  3. Laura Arnstein Carpenter
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  4. Zachary Warren
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  5. Stephen Kanne
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Contributions

KC participated in the study conception and design, and drafted the manuscript. SK participated in the study conception and design, contributed to manuscript preparation, and conducted statistical analyses. All authors contributed to manuscript preparation and read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen Kanne.

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Conflict of interest

Outside of receiving grant funding to complete this study, none of the authors or their immediate families have a financial conflict of interest in relation to Cognoa, Inc. (i.e. have not received employment, consultancies, stock ownership).

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participant included in the study.

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Christopher, K., Bishop, S., Carpenter, L.A. et al. The Implications of Parent-Reported Emotional and Behavioral Problems on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 884–891 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04469-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04469-5

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