Autism screening questionnaire: diagnostic validity

Br J Psychiatry. 1999 Nov:175:444-51. doi: 10.1192/bjp.175.5.444.

Abstract

Background: Good interview and diagnostic measures for autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) are available but there is a lack of a good screening questionnaire.

Aims: To develop and test a screening questionnaire based on items in the best available diagnostic interview--the Autism Diagnostic Interview--Revised (ADI-R).

Method: A 40-item scale, the Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ), was developed and tested on a sample of 160 individuals with PDD and 40 with non-PDD diagnoses.

Results: The ASQ has good discriminative validity with respect to the separation of PDD from non-PDD diagnoses at all IQ levels, with a cut-off of 15 proving most effective. The differentiation between autism and other varieties of PDD was weaker.

Conclusions: The ASQ is an effective screening questionnaire for PDD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Asperger Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Autistic Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Conduct Disorder / diagnosis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fragile X Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Intellectual Disability / diagnosis
  • Language Development Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mass Screening / methods*
  • Rett Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*