Diagnostic Utility of the ADI-R and DSM-5 in the Assessment of Latino Children and Adolescents.
Use the DSM-5 ADI-R scoring rules when assessing Latino kids so you miss fewer autism cases.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Magaña et al. (2017) compared two ways of scoring the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) for Latino kids whose parents speak Spanish.
They looked at the old DSM-IV-TR rules and the newer DSM-5 rules to see which one caught more autism cases.
What they found
The DSM-5 algorithm picked up more true autism cases than the older DSM-IV-TR version.
This means fewer Latino children were missed when evaluators used the new scoring rules.
How this fits with other research
Tafolla et al. (2025) extends this work by showing how to actually recruit Latino families for autism studies. They enrolled 94 bilingual, low-income families using community partners and Spanish flyers.
Goodwin et al. (2012) reviewed early screening tools and included the ADI-R. Their paper sets the stage for why updating the ADI-R rules matters in the bigger screening picture.
Arcebido et al. (2025) spotlights another gap in autism assessment: only 3 in 10 kids got recommended genetic tests. Together with Sandy et al., these studies show we keep missing kids at every step unless we fix both the interview and the follow-up tests.
Why it matters
If you evaluate Latino children, switch to the DSM-5 ADI-R algorithm today. It is a free scoring change that catches more autism cases without extra work. Pair this with the outreach tips from Maira et al. to make sure the families you need actually walk through your door.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Latino children in the US are systematically underdiagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); therefore, it is important that recent changes to the diagnostic process do not exacerbate this pattern of under-identification. Previous research has found that the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) algorithm, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), has limitations with Latino children of Spanish speaking parents. We evaluated whether an ADI-R algorithm based on the new DSM-5 classification for ASD would be more sensitive in identifying Latino children of Spanish speaking parents who have a clinical diagnosis of ASD. Findings suggest that the DSM-5 algorithm shows better sensitivity than the DSM-IV-TR algorithm for Latino children.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3043-2