The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the Infant-Toddler Checklist (ITC) as a broadband screener to detect infants and toddlers with communication delays including ASD from a general population sample. The ITC was used to screen 5,385 children from 6–24 months of age. Three surveillance methods were used to detect children with possible ASD and diagnosis was confirmed at a mean age of 3 years. Positive and negative predictive values support the validity of the ITC for children 9–24 months of age but not 6–8 months. Of 60 children diagnosed with ASD, 56 had a positive screen on the ITC; parent concern increased with child age from less than half reporting concern from 6–15 months and nearly three-fourths at 21–24 months. Implications for improving early detection of ASD are discussed.
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