The following is a list of the more common screening tools that are used to evaluate children for autism. The screening tools are usually administered by pediatricians, psychologists, or neurologists.
Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) This test is a simple screening tool for identification of autistic children at 18 months of age. It has two sections labeled A and B. Section A of the CHAT is a self-administered questionnaire for parents with nine yes –or- no questions addressing the following areas of child development: rough-and-tumble play, social interest, motor development, social play, pretend play, pointing (pointing to ask for something), functional play, and showing (i.e., demonstrating activities or the product of these activities to peers or parents). Section B of the CHAT consists of five items, which are recorded by observation of the children by an experienced clinician.
The five items address the child’s eye contact, ability to follow a point (gaze monitoring), pretend (pretend play), producing a point (called protodeclarative pointing by experts), and making a tower of blocks.
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (MCHAT) The M-CHAT was designed as a simple, self-administered, parental questionnaire for use during regular pediatric visits. The more questions a child “fails,” the higher his or her risk of having autism. The M-CHAT consists of 23 questions; 9 questions from the original CHAT and an additional 14 questions addressing core symptoms present among young autistic children.
The original observational part in CHAT (i.e., section B) is omitted in this screening instrument. Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds (STAT) The STAT is an interactive screening measure for autism. It is designed specifically to differentiate autism from other developmental disorders. The tool is administered through a 20-minute play interaction involving 12 activities. Clinicians using the screening tool sample three areas of interaction with the child, including play (both pretend and reciprocal social play), motor imitation, and nonverbal communicative development.
The Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) – The ASSQ is a useful, brief screening device for the identification of ASD in clinical settings. The ASSQ consists of a 27-item checklist that is completed by parents or caretakers of a child who appears to have symptoms characteristic of Asperger syndrome and other high-functioning ASD. It is a valid screening tool for children and adolescents with normal intelligence or mild mental retardation.
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) – is a checklist designed to be used by parents, teachers, and professionals to help identify and estimate the severity of symptoms of autism in individuals between the ages of 3 and22 years. It is based on criteria from the American Psychiatric Association and groups items into four subtests- stereotyped behaviors, communication, social interaction, and an optional test, which describes development in the first 3 years of life.
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) – This screening aid in evaluating a child’s body movements, adaptation to change, listening response, verbal communication, and relationship to people. It is suitable for use with children over 2 years of age. The examiner observes the child and obtains relevant information from the parents. The child’s behavior is rated on a scale based on deviation from the typical behavior of children of the same age.
Autism Diagnosis Interview–Revised (ADI–R) – The ADI–R is a structured interview that contains over 100 items and is conducted with a caregiver. It consists of four main factors: the child’s communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and age-of-onset symptoms.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) – The ADOS-G is a semi structured, standardized assessment of communication, social interaction, and play or imaginative use of materials for individuals who have been referred because of possible autism or ASD. The ADOS-G is an observational measure used to elicit socio-communicative behaviors that are often delayed, abnormal, or absent in children with autism. The clinician uses structured activities and materials to provide standard contexts in which social interactions, communication, and other behaviors relevant to ASD can be observed. The ADOS-G can be used to evaluate individuals at different developmental levels and chronological ages.
Terms:
Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) – A checklist to be used by general practitioners at 18 months to see if a child has autism.
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) – This is a screening checklist designed to be used by parents, teachers, and professionals to help to identify autistic children.
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) – This is a screening checklist designed to be used by parents, teachers, and professionals to help to identify autistic children.
Stereotyped behaviors – A common finding with autistic patients. These are repetitive, apparently nonfunctional behaviors, such as rocking and hand flapping; these behaviors are repeated many times.
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) – An autism screening test developed at Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication- Handicapped Children (TEACCH).The child is rated in 15 areas on a scale up to 4 yielding a total up to 60; ranges are considered to be no autistic, autistic, and severely autistic.
