Assessment & Research
Performance of the Autism Observation Scale for Infants with community-ascertained infants showing early signs of autism.
★ The Verdict
AOSI is ready for community clinics, but trust the scores more at 18 months than at 12.
✓ Read this if BCBAs who screen babies in pediatric clinics or early-intervention centers.
✗ Skip if Clinicians working only with kids over age 3.
01Research in Context
01
What this study did
You can start using AOSI at the 12-month visit, but wait until 18 months before you lean on the score for big decisions.
That timing keeps you from over-referring while still catching kids early.
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Add the 18-month AOSI to your routine autism screening battery and compare it to your usual checklist.
02At a glance
Intervention
not applicable
Design
single case other
Population
autism spectrum disorder
Finding
positive
Magnitude
medium
03Original abstract
We investigated whether a commonly used research assessment - the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) - accurately measures autism behaviours among infants showing early signs of autism identified within the community. The AOSI is often included in studies tracking the development of infants at increased likelihood of autism, such as the infant siblings of diagnosed children. However, the suitability of this measure has not previously been tested with community-referred infants. We administered the AOSI with infants when aged 9 to 14 months and again 6 months later. Our researchers - independent of the AOSI development team and newly trained on this measure - were able to administer the brief interactive assessment and score it accurately. The infants' AOSI scores were linked to their scores on other established and validated clinical assessments, particularly at the second visit when average age was 18 months. Stronger correspondence of AOSI and other scores at this second visit suggests early autism behaviours are better established and more consistent by 18 months of age, even though these infants showed clear enough signs of possible autism to prompt referral to our study around 12 months of age. However, the moderate association of AOSI scores over time suggests that, like infant siblings - who mostly do not develop autism - community-identified infants showing early signs may also have variable developmental pathways in early life.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2021 · doi:10.1177/1362361320965397