Early identification of Asperger syndrome in young children.
Eight ADI-R questions give a fast, accurate Asperger syndrome screen for kids up to 11.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked for the shortest set of ADI-R questions that could spot Asperger syndrome in kids up to age 11.
They tested the eight items on a group of children already given full diagnoses.
What they found
The mini interview caught 92 out of 100 kids who truly had Asperger syndrome.
It also correctly ruled out 90 out of 100 kids who did not have it.
How this fits with other research
Zander et al. (2015) trimmed the ADI-R family into a 15-minute phone screen for verbal school-age kids and reached the same 92 % specificity, showing the idea travels across formats.
Noterdaeme et al. (2002) showed you need both ADI-R and ADOS for the most accurate call, yet Wiebke’s 8-item subset works alone for Asperger screening, saving time when full batteries aren’t possible.
Foley-Nicpon et al. (2017) warns that high-IQ youth can be missed if you skip the full ADI-R, so keep the 8-item screen for quick triage, not final diagnosis.
Why it matters
You can run the eight questions while families wait and get a clear red-or-green light for Asperger syndrome risk. If the screen is positive, move to full assessment; if negative, you have quick reassurance without burning clinic hours.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study was designed to identify items of the ADI-R that allow an early and sensitive identification of children with possible Asperger syndrome (AS). The aim was to obtain an economic short interview suitable for screening purposes. The study was based on data from a clinical sample of 5-18-year-old children and adolescents (mean age 10.9 years) with either Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; n = 43) or AS (n = 62). The introductory questions and 36 items, which contribute to the diagnostic algorithm of the ADI-R, were subjected to content analysis and stepwise discriminant function analysis. Eight meaningful items were found, which were shown to be good predictors of AS and to discriminate between the children with AS and those with ADHD. The short interview was especially useful for the assessment and screening of children up to 11 years in our sample, because in this subgroup, sensitivity was even higher (.92) and specificity was also excellent (.90). Eight items with high discriminatory power allowed sensitive and economic screening for young children with suspected AS.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.09.013