Examination of the Korean Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers: Item Response Theory.
K-M-CHAT-2 works for Korean toddlers only when you add the follow-up phone interview.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested the Korean version of the M-CHAT-2 toddler autism screener. They used item-response theory to see which questions work best. Parents filled out the checklist and staff called back for the follow-up interview.
What they found
The K-M-CHAT-2 is good enough for Korean toddlers if you always do the phone follow-up. Five items were weak and may need re-wording. Skipping the interview raises false positives.
How this fits with other research
Hedley et al. (2010) also tested a toddler screener in Spanish and got strong numbers without an extra interview. The difference is the M-CHAT-2 needs the call-back step, while the Spanish ADEC-SP works in one pass.
Faso et al. (2016) used the same IRT math to build the DABS adaptive scale. Both studies show IRT helps trim weak items, but Seung et al. (2015) kept the full form plus interview, while J et al. dropped items to make a short scale.
McGeown et al. (2013) validated the Korean QABF for function assessment. Together these papers give Korean-speaking clinicians a full kit: screen with K-M-CHAT-2, then assess function with Korean QABF.
Why it matters
If you screen Korean toddlers, use the K-M-CHAT-2 but never skip the follow-up call. The five weak items still give useful data, so keep them until better wording is published. Pair this tool with the Korean QABF to move smoothly from screening to function-based planning.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The study examined the clinical utility and psychometric properties of the Korean Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (K-M-CHAT)-2. A sample of 2300 parents of 16- to 36-month-old children was recruited across South Korea. A phone interview was utilized to follow up with participants who initially screened positive for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Item response theory was applied to assess the psychometric properties of the K-M-CHAT-2. Parents' responses were substantially changed after the follow-up, and the final screen-positive rate was 2.3 %. Results indicated that the psychometric properties of items 1, 3, 11, 18 and 22 were not as strong as the other items. The K-M-CHAT-2 is a useful ASD screening test when implemented with a follow-up.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2015 · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2439-0