Autism Mental Status Examination (AMSE): A Valid Instrument in the Evaluation of Pre-school Children with Suspected Autism Spectrum Disorders?

The same investigator performed the AMSE and the DISCO-11 interview, so the study was not blind. The study was small, with 126 children included and 124 children analysed for the main diagnosis comparison. All children were already referred for neuropsychiatric assessment, so the results may not apply to general screening or to children without caregiver or professional concern. The DISCO-11 was not completed for two included children, and the Vineland-II questionnaire was not returned for all children. The best AMSE cut-off was 7 points here, but earlier AMSE work reported 5 points, so the threshold may not be stable across samples. The investigator had used the AMSE clinically for about 2 years but had not received specific AMSE training before the study.

Do not read a 7-point AMSE score as proof of autism. Two children scored 7 and 8 points but did not receive an ICD-10 autism diagnosis because their symptoms did not start before age 3 years, and the sample was already referred for neuropsychiatric assessment.