Autism Spectrum Disorder: Links to Commonly Used Screening Instruments and Tools
Last updated January 22, 2021
A number of screening tools for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been developed and are commonly used. The Toolkit provides a list of links to tools for developmental surveillance and screening for use at the discretion of the health care professional.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not approve nor endorse any specific tool for screening purposes. This table is not exhaustive, and other screening tools may be available. For best results, it is recommended that users review available instruction manuals before administering, scoring, and analyzing results of the scoring tools. Availability of a tool in multiple languages does not correlate to validation of the tool in such languages.
Links provided for these commonly used tools go to the author or the owner (or both) of the specific tool to ensure accessibility to the most up-to-date version of the specific tool. Review and comply with any copyright and permissions requirements before use.
|
Tool |
Age Range |
Format |
Administration Time |
Languages Available |
Cost |
Psychometric Properties |
Notes |
|
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-R/F (M-CHAT-R/F)
|
16 to 30 months |
Two part screen: the first part is a 20-item parent-completed checklist with yes/no questions about early signs of ASD. The second part is a staff-completed structured interview that is only necessary for indeterminate scores. A total score is generated by the number of fail responses on the parent questionnaire. |
5 minutes to complete; 2 minutes to score; can be scored by office staff |
Available in multiple languages |
Free |
Sens .91, Spec .95, 0.45 PPV, for low risk 18 and 24 m olds with follow up questionnaire and interview. |
This is the most frequently-used test for “screening aged” children in the United States. |
|
16 to 35 months |
6-item parent completed screener; is integrated into the Survey of Well-being in Young Children, which is a developmental and socio-emotional screener |
5 minutes to complete and score; can be scored by office staff |
Spanish, Khmer, Burmese, Nepali, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Somali Vietnamese |
Free |
Sens 88.5%, Spec 56.9% |
This is a good choice for practices that seek integrated autism and developmental screening. |
|
|
Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT) |
24 to 35 months |
12-item provider-completed interactive/observational measure; requires training and special kit to properly administer |
20 to 30 minutes to complete; 5 to 10 minutes to score; must be administered and scored by someone trained on the test |
English |
See website |
Sens 0.83, Spec 0.86, PPV 0.77, NPV 0.90 for ASD among children >24 months |
This test is often administered as a “level 2” screener for children already suspected to have high ASD risk, to rule out ASD. |
|
Rapid Interactive Screening Test for Autism in Toddlers (RITA-T) |
18 to 36 months |
9-item provider-completed interactive/observational measure; requires training and special kit to properly administer |
5 to 10 minutes to administer and score; must be administered and scored by someone trained on the test |
English |
See website |
Sens 1, Spec 0.84, PPV 0.88, NPV 0.94 |
This test is often administered as a “level 2” screener for children already suspected to have high ASD risk, to rule out ASD. |
|
6 to 24 months |
24-item multiple choice parent checklist. This screening test is not specifically for ASD but encompasses communication more broadly. |
5 to 10 minutes to complete; 5 minutes to score; can be scored by office staff |
English, Spanish, Slovenian, Chinese, Swedish, German |
Free (English and Spanish only) |
Sens 0.78, Spec 0.84 for communication delay including autism. Does not reliably discriminate between autism and another communication delay or disorder. |
This has the youngest age range of all screening tests listed; it is widely used in some parts of the United States. It is more specific to ASD than a general developmental screener. |
|
|
4+ years |
40-item parent completed checklist; children must have a mental age of at least 2 years |
5 to 10 minutes to complete; 5 minutes to score; scoring must be done by a developmental professional
|
Available in multiple languages |
See website |
Sens 0.85, Spec 0.75 |
This tool is for older children. |
Abbreviations: Sens, Sensitivity; Spec, Specificity.
