Autism spectrum disorder screening in preschools

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Pediatric medicine

Background:

• Preschool teachers are well-positioned to observe early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.
• Hesitancy to report concerns due to fear of false alarms can delay diagnosis.
• A validated screening tool is needed to support teachers' judgments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a user-friendly screening tool for identifying preschoolers at higher risk for ASD.
• To utilize peer interactions as a naturalistic method for assessing ASD symptomatology.

Main Methods:

• An 84-item checklist was used to observe 304 children (3–4 years old), leading to a 13-item Classroom Observation Scale.
• The scale's scores were correlated with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) scores.
• The scale was further validated on 322 children (2–4 years old), with follow-up assessments 1.5 years later.

Main Results:

• The Classroom Observation Scale demonstrated significant correlation with ADOS-2 scores.
• The scale effectively predicted autism spectrum disorder diagnoses 1.5 years later in a separate cohort.
• The 13-item scale proved reliable and valid for identifying at-risk preschoolers.

Conclusions:

• The Classroom Observation Scale is a practical tool for teachers and healthcare workers with minimal clinical training.
• It facilitates early identification of autism spectrum disorder in preschool settings.
• This scale empowers educators and clinicians to make more confident assessments, promoting timely intervention.