Development of the Signposting Questionnaire for Autism (SQ-A): measurement comparison with the 10-item Autism Spectrum Quotient-Child and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the UK and Latvia.
Catherine R G Jones, Sarah L Barrett, Ieva Bite and 8 others
PMID 32799931WHAT IT FOUND
A new 14-item parent questionnaire for autism signs separated diagnosed autistic children from those with other special needs and no difficulties in both the UK and Latvia.
It tracks closely with an existing short autism screen, offering a quick way to spot key behaviours.
Key findings
01In the UK sample, parents of children with a clinical ASD diagnosis scored significantly higher on the new Signposting Questionnaire for Autism (SQ-A) than parents of children with other special educational needs or no known difficulties.
02The SQ-A scores correlated strongly with the established AQ-10 autism screen in both the UK and Latvia, showing similar results to a validated brief measure.
03Unlike the general Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the SQ-A scores did not significantly differ between children with ASD alone and those with ASD plus co-occurring conditions, suggesting it targets autism-specific behaviours more precisely.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Diagnoses were based on parent report and were not independently verified by the researchers. The study did not calculate sensitivity or specificity for the SQ-A, so it cannot yet be used as a diagnostic tool. The sample was heavily male (74.5% in the UK, 62.9% in Latvia), so its accuracy for girls is less certain. The SQ-A does not cover all DSM-5 domains, notably omitting many sensory items. Cultural differences between the UK and Latvia may have influenced how parents interpreted the questions.
Declared interests
Funded by Autistica and Autism Cymru. No other conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the SQ-A to diagnose autism or to rule it out. It is a signposting tool that identifies patterns of behaviour, not a clinical assessment. The study did not test its sensitivity or specificity, and the authors state it is premature to use it as a categorical indicator of ASD.