The application of the first year inventory for ASD screening in Israel

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Screening
• Infant Development

Background:

• The First Year Inventory (FYI) is a tool used for early identification of developmental risks in infants.
• Assessing the generalizability and validity of the FYI in diverse cultural contexts is crucial for its effective application.
• Previous research established the FYI's utility in the United States.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the generalizability and validity of the First Year Inventory (FYI) in an Israeli infant population.
• To determine if the FYI's established risk cutoff scores are applicable to Israeli infants.
• To explore the relationship between FYI-identified risk and objective developmental assessments.

Main Methods:

• Parents of 471 12-month-old infants in Israel completed the FYI.
• A subset of infants (17 at-risk, 38 non-risk) underwent further assessment.
• The Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) were administered to assess infant development.

Main Results:

• The Israeli sample exhibited an 11% risk rate using the original FYI 95th percentile cutoff.
• The FYI's 95th percentile cutoff in the Israeli sample was 4.8 points higher than in the original US sample.
• Infants identified as at-risk by the FYI scored higher on the AOSI and lower on the MSEL, indicating developmental differences.

Conclusions:

• The FYI demonstrates potential for identifying at-risk infants in Israel, but its validity requires careful consideration.
• The observed differences in cutoff scores suggest a need to adapt the FYI for the Israeli population.
• Socio-demographic factors may impact screening results, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive and adapted developmental screening approaches.