Stability of the autism diagnostic interview-revised from pre-school to elementary school age in children with autism spectrum disorders.
The ADI-R label usually sticks from preschool to elementary, but symptom scores can drop a lot—so reassess before you write the next plan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Moss et al. (2008) asked a simple question. Does the ADI-R label you get at age 3 still fit at age 10?
They tracked the same kids for about seven years. No extra teaching was given. They just gave the ADI-R twice.
What they found
Most kids kept the autism label. Yet their symptom scores dropped a lot.
In plain words, the diagnosis stuck, but the kids looked better on paper.
How this fits with other research
Giserman-Kiss et al. (2020) saw the same pattern in even younger, more diverse kids. Eighty-eight percent kept the label, and their thinking scores rose.
Latham et al. (2014) seems to disagree at first. One in five kids lost the label by school age. The gap is age. O’s group was diagnosed before three, when signs can be unclear. Jo’s group was already preschoolers, so their label was firmer.
Georgiades et al. (2014) used math to find one small group whose symptoms shrank fast. That tiny crew lines up with Jo’s finding that scores can fall even when the label stays.
Why it matters
For you, the lesson is simple. Treat the child, not the old report. Plan fresh ADI-R checks before big school moves. A stable label does not mean stable needs.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pull the last ADI-R raw scores, not just the label, and compare them to current classroom data.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the stability of scores on the ADI-R from pre-school to elementary school age in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants were 35 children who, at T1, all had a clinical diagnosis of ASD. On initial assessment (mean age 3.5 years; SD 0.6 years), all met ADI-R algorithm criteria for autism. ADI-R assessments were repeated at follow up (FU; mean age 10.5 years; SD 0.8 years). Changes in ADI-R total, domain and ADI-R algorithm item scores were assessed. Twenty-eight children continued to score above the ADI-R cut-off for autism at FU, although significant decreases in ADI-R domain and item scores were also found. In conclusion while classification of children according to ADI-R criteria generally remained stable between pre-school and elementary school age, many children demonstrated significant improvements in symptom severity.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2008 · doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0487-9