Brief report: the Autism Mental Status Examination: development of a brief autism-focused exam.
The 8-item AMSE gives you a fast, reliable red-flag score for autism in under two minutes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built an 8-item checklist called the Autism Mental Status Exam (AMSE).
They tested it on the children already suspected of autism in two clinics.
Each exam took about two minutes and was done during a regular visit.
What they found
A score of 5 or higher caught almost every child who later met ADOS criteria.
Reliability between two raters was good, so different clinicians got similar scores.
How this fits with other research
Mandell et al. (2016) later used the same 8 items in toddlers and saw even stronger numbers (94 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity). That study extends this one by showing the tool works best in 18-month to young learners.
Robinson et al. (2016) built a different brief observer scale for empathy. Like the AMSE, it is short and autism-focused, but it tracks therapy change rather than screening.
Mulder et al. (2020) created the 6-item ASSET for teacher confidence. It is another ultra-short autism measure, yet it looks at staff feelings instead of child symptoms.
Why it matters
You can print the free AMSE form and add a two-minute screen to any intake. A score of 5 or more tells you the child needs a full ADOS soon. The 2016 follow-up shows the tool is strongest with preschoolers, so use it early and trust high scores.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Autism Mental Status Examination (AMSE) described here is an eight-item observational assessment that prompts the observation and recording of signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The AMSE is intended to take place seamlessly in the context of a clinical exam and produces a total score. Subjects were independently administered the AMSE and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). The ADOS was used to estimate the most effective criterion cut-off on the AMSE. A score of five or greater produced excellent sensitivity and good specificity in a high-risk sample. Internal consistency was acceptable and inter-rater reliability was good to excellent. Preliminary findings indicate excellent classification accuracy and suggest that the AMSE provides a rapid and reliable observational assessment in a high-risk population.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2012 · doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1255-4