The goals of developmental screening and of autism screening are the same: to determine whether further evaluation, assessment, and testing is needed in order to make a diagnosis. Developmental screening may well lead to the need for autism-specific screening.
The tools used to screen for autism are designed specifically to detect autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). They focus all three of the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition) criteria for autism (impairment in social interaction, impairment in communication, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, and delays in social interaction, social language use, and/or imaginative play). Autism screening, in short, focuses on the communication and social development of children aged 18 months and older.
A combination of observation and screening questionnaires are used to screen for autism. One such questionnaire is the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), which includes 23 yes or no questions, including those that address a child’s interest in other children, enjoyment of social games, sensitivity to noises, ability to maintain eye contact, and language comprehension. The Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) is used to screen for ASDs in children aged 4 and older.
Asperger Syndrome screening tools are designed to differentiate between Asperger Syndrome and other ASDs or developmental disorders. These tools focus on social and behavioral impairment in children aged 4 and older. The high-functioning Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) is used to assess symptoms of Asperger syndrome; a 27-item checklist, the questionnaire is used on children and adolescents.
The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is another ASD screening tool used on children aged 4 and older. The questionnaire is answered by parents and the questions are in a yes or no format.
The Australian Scale for Asperger Syndrome (ASAS) is a questionnaire for parents in which parents rate of a scale of 0 to 6, from rarely to frequently, questions about a child’s social and emotional, cognitive, movement, specific interests, and language skills and abilities.
Screening is designed to determine the need for additional evaluation, without which treatment cannot be implemented. The procedures for screening for autism are more detailed and time-consuming than those used to screen for developmental delays, but are critical in obtaining early, appropriate intervention.