University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications

Title

Predictive Validity of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) Born Very Preterm

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry

Publication Date

2016-11-01

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Pediatrics | Psychiatry | Psychiatry and Psychology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive validity of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) administered at age 24 months for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosed at 10 years of age in a US cohort of 827 extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs) followed from birth.

STUDY DESIGN: We examined the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the M-CHAT in predicting an ASD diagnosis at age 10 years based on gold standard diagnostic instruments. We then assessed how these predictive parameters were affected by sensorimotor and cognitive impairments, socioeconomic status (SES), and emotional/behavioral dysregulation at age 2 years.

RESULTS: Using standard criteria, the M-CHAT had a sensitivity of 52%, a specificity of 84%, a PPV of 20%, and an NPV of 96%. False-positive and false-negative rates were high among children with hearing and vision impairments. High false-positive rates also were associated with lower SES, motor and cognitive impairments, and emotional/behavioral dysregulation at age 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Among extremely preterm children with ASD, almost one-half were not correctly screened by the M-CHAT at age 2 years. Sensorimotor and cognitive impairments, SES, and emotional/behavioral dysregulation contributed significantly to M-CHAT misclassifications. Clinicians are advised to consider these factors when screening very preterm toddlers for ASD.

Keywords

Autism, M-CHAT, Preterm children, Screening

DOI of Published Version

10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.07.052

Source

J Pediatr. 2016 Nov;178:101-107.e2. Epub 2016 Aug 31. Link to article on publisher's site

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

Journal/Book/Conference Title

The Journal of pediatrics

PubMed ID

27592094

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