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Development and initial testing of the BABY-BISCUIT in an at-risk population
Johnny L Matson1, Megan M Callahan1, Joshua J Montrenes1
1Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States.
Developmental Neurorehabilitation
|December 28, 2021
Summary
The BABY-BISCUIT is a new, brief autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screener. It shows high sensitivity for early identification, suggesting its potential for further ASD assessment needs.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for timely intervention.
- Current autism screeners lack consensus due to variable sensitivity and specificity.
- There is a need for brief, effective screening tools for young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate the utility of the BABY-BISCUIT, a novel six-item autism screener.
- To assess the BABY-BISCUIT's performance in a sample of at-risk toddlers.
- To establish the psychometric properties of the BABY-BISCUIT for early ASD detection.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 504 toddlers aged 17-39 months, identified as at-risk.
- Data were collected during annual screenings within the Louisiana EarlySteps program.
- Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the screener's structure.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a one-factor solution for the BABY-BISCUIT.
- The screener demonstrated 100.0% sensitivity for detecting potential ASD.
- Specificity was 33.3% with an optimal cutoff score of 1 (AUC = 0.957).
Conclusions:
- The BABY-BISCUIT shows promise as a short, easily administered screener for autism spectrum disorder.
- Findings suggest the BABY-BISCUIT can help determine the necessity of further ASD assessment.
- Further research is recommended to validate the BABY-BISCUIT against established ASD measures.
