The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers: A Follow-up Study Investigating the Early Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often go undetected in toddlers. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was used to screen 3,793 children aged 16-30 months from lowand high-risk sources; screen positive cases were diagnostically evaluated. Re-screening was performed on 1,416 children aged 42-54 months. Time 1 Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was .36 for the initial screening and .74 for the screening plus follow-up telephone interview; values were similar for Time 2 PPV. When separating referral sources, PPV was low for the low-risk sample but acceptable with the follow-up telephone interview. Children with ASD from the low-risk and high-risk samples were highly similar. Results indicate that the M-CHAT continues to be a promising instrument for the early detection of ASD.

Autism Screening With Online Decision Support by Primary Care Pediatricians Aided by M-CHAT/F

“…13 It also confirms previous studies showing that most children with false-positive screens have developmental difficulties 17 of a degree that would make them eligible for early intervention. Some children with false-positive screens had atypical features not meeting criteria for ASD.…”

“…8 Another study in community practices reported that this follow-up procedure increased the positive predictive value (PPV) from 0.11 to 0.65, reinforcing the need for the follow-up interview. 13 The interview consists of a script that prompts for specific examples of behaviors relevant to each failed item. Based on the parent's responses, the interviewer may change failed items to a pass.…”

Early Screening of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Practice and Research

“…The M-CHAT, also adapted from the CHAT, has been assessed in large community [25][26][27] the PPV of the M-CHAT for ASD was 0.54, and for any developmental disorder, it was 0.98. 31 As in other communitybased ASD-screening studies, estimates of PPV were based on those screen-positive children who attended and completed a diagnostic evaluation (39.3% of screen-positive children were not assessed).…”

Common Genetic Etiologies and Biological Pathways Shared Between Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities

“…M-CHAT includes a checklist of 23 items to be filled out by parents and it can be administered at a much earlier stage to identify toddlers who are at risk of autism. A recent study has confirmed the validity of this instrument in detecting possible ASD at 16-30 months of age (Kleinman et al, 2008). However, the high sensitivity of this checklist means that some children without autism will fail the screening.…”