Do Autism-Specific and General Developmental Screens Have Complementary Clinical Value?

The sample was not fully representative of the national community population; participants were predominantly male, Caucasian, privately insured, and from families with higher education levels. Many parents in the screen-pass group declined participation, which may bias the results. The study excluded children who did not walk or scoot by 18 months, so findings do not apply to children with significant motor delays. Diagnoses were made at a single time point in toddlerhood; autism or developmental delay may evolve or become clearer later, meaning current 'false positives' or 'false negatives' might change. The prevalence of autism in the study sample (15.4%) was much higher than in the general population, affecting the interpretation of positive predictive values for community settings.

The study was conducted with IRB approval. Families received a $200 participation fee for diagnostic evaluations. No specific commercial funding or conflicts of interest for the authors are detailed in the provided text beyond the use of CHADIS, an online clinical service.

Do not assume that a negative screen at 18 months rules out autism or developmental delay. The study found that no combination of screens achieved acceptable sensitivity and specificity simultaneously, and autism symptoms often emerge or become clearer after this age.