Piloting the Use of a Short Observation List for ASD-Symptoms in Day-Care: Challenges and Further Possibilities.
A brief teacher checklist won’t reliably flag ASD red flags in infants under 24 months; you’ll need longer, repeated observations.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Larsen et al. (2020) asked day-care teachers to use a short checklist to spot ASD signs in babies aged 12-24 months.
The list was meant to be quick—something a busy teacher could finish during a normal day.
Researchers then checked if the teachers’ answers matched later ASD diagnoses.
What they found
The short list missed most kids who later showed ASD.
Teachers working alone could not reliably flag the red flags in infants.
The authors concluded the tool was “insufficient” for early detection.
How this fits with other research
Mandell et al. (2016) and Mayes (2018) seem to disagree. Their 8-item AMSE and 6-item CASD hit 94-100% accuracy when trained clinicians gave the screen.
The gap is who gives the test. Clinicians with autism training can spot signs in minutes; day-care teachers without that training cannot.
Grodberg et al. (2012), the first AMSE paper, already showed that a brief clinician exam works. Larsen et al. (2020) confirms the tool breaks down when the rater is less skilled and the child is younger.
Why it matters
If you need a quick screen, pick a validated clinician tool like the AMSE or CASD-6 and stay with kids 18 months and up. Do not hand a short list to day-care staff and expect valid results. Instead, train teachers to refer any concern for a fuller look by a qualified assessor.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Early symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) develop through the second year of life, making a stable ASD diagnosis possible around 24 months of age. However, in general, children with ASD are diagnosed later. In this study we explored the use of a short observation list to detect symptoms associated with ASD in children 12-24 months of age attending typical day-care centers. The results indicate that a short observation list used by day-care teachers does not reveal sufficient properties to be independently used in young children in day-care centers. Further studies should explore multiple and repeated measures for early detection of symptoms associated with ASD in typical day-care centers.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04313-5