Validation of the Electronic Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To examine the classification rates and screening properties, including sensitivity and specificity, of the web-based Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddler, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) compared with paper-phone administration, and to determine the extent to which electronic M-CHAT-R/F streamlines screening, increases screening fidelity, increases diagnostic evaluation participation, and decreases waiting time from screening to evaluation compared with paper-phone modality.

Study Design: Primary-care practices in urban and suburban settings administered either the web-based or paper-phone M-CHAT-R/F using a prospective nonrandomized control design. Toddlers (n = 17 900) were screened between 2009 and 2016 at routine well-child check-ups.

Associations between autistic traits and fractional anisotropy values in white matter tracts in a nonclinical sample of young adults.

Whereas a number of studies have examined relationships among brain activity, social cognitive skills, and autistic traits, fewer studies have evaluated whether structural connections among brain regions relate to these traits and skills. Uncinate fasciculus (UF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) are white matter tracts that may underpin the behavioral expression of these skills because they connect regions within or provide sensory information to brain areas implicated in social cognition, and structural differences in these tracts have been associated with autistic traits. We examined relationships among self-reported autistic traits, mentalizing, and water diffusivity in UF and ILF in a nonclinical sample of 24 young adults (mean age = 21.

Using the BASC-2 Parent Rating Scales to Screen for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Toddlers and Preschool-Aged Children.

Early identification of toddlers and preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important for ensuring that these youth receive targeted early intervention services. Identifying young children with ASD is complicated by overlap among symptoms of ASD and other developmental delays. Additionally, youth with ASD have a higher risk of experiencing co-occurring challenging behaviors that are beyond the diagnostic criteria for ASD (e.