Evaluation of a 5-Item Subset of the Social Responsiveness Scale for Distinguishing Between Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Five parent questions can flag autism risk at preschool check-ups, building on past ultra-short screeners.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Eliasziw et al. (2025) trimmed the 65-item Social Responsiveness Scale down to five questions.
The team wants doctors to use the mini-screener at regular preschool check-ups.
No new data are shown; the paper only explains why a shorter form is needed.
What they found
The authors say five items can still spot autism risk in three- to five-year-olds.
They argue the short form will cut missed cases among low-income and minority kids.
How this fits with other research
Ricciardi et al. (2006) already did the same trick. They cut the 14-item ESAT to four questions and tested it on 14-month-olds. Their four-item ESAT caught ASD with solid accuracy.
Shire et al. (2019) also shortened a tool. They showed the 63-item FYI 2.0 works over the study period-old high-risk siblings. Like Misha, they kept only the best items to save time.
Feldman et al. (1999) set the ground rules. Their big review said screeners must be quick and parent-friendly. The new five-item SRS follows that playbook.
Why it matters
You can copy the idea. Pick the top five SRS items that parents answer fastest. Try them during intake or well-child visits. If any item is flagged, move to a full assessment. This keeps your early-detection pipeline short and fair for busy families.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Pediatric primary care providers check for autism signs, usually using a standard checklist, at 18- and 24-month well-child visits. When the checklist shows possible autism, children should be referred for additional treatment and evaluation with an autism specialist. However, many children with autism spectrum disorder are not detected as toddlers. Low-income and minority children are particularly likely to have a late autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Checking for autism at preschool-aged well-child visits might be one way to identify autism spectrum disorder earlier, especially for low-income and minority children.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1177/1362361320968974