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. 2015 Jun;45(6):1797-808.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2339-8.

Sociodemographic Barriers to Early Detection of Autism: Screening and Evaluation Using the M-CHAT, M-CHAT-R, and Follow-Up

Meena K Khowaja  1 , Ann P Hazzard, Diana L Robins
Affiliations

Sociodemographic Barriers to Early Detection of Autism: Screening and Evaluation Using the M-CHAT, M-CHAT-R, and Follow-Up

Meena K Khowaja et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Parents (n = 11,845) completed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (or its latest revision) at pediatric visits. Using sociodemographic predictors of maternal education and race, binary logistic regressions were utilized to examine differences in autism screening, diagnostic evaluation participation rates and outcomes, and reasons for non-participation. Families of lower maternal education and racial minorities exhibited inflated initial screen positive rates and lower participation at Follow-Up, although not at the evaluation. Economic challenges, such as invalid phone numbers, were identified as barriers to reaching these families. Families of higher education and White race were more likely to decline participation in evaluation. Results suggest the need for increased public education about childhood development to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and streamline screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

Regarding conflicts of interest, Diana Robins is co-owner of M-CHAT LLC, which licenses use of the M-CHAT in electronic products. However, data used in the current study were collected using the free version of the M-CHAT and no royalties are associated with this study. We certify that there is no conflict of interest, including financial interests, activities, relationships, and affiliations, with the authors and any organization or sponsor regarding the study design, data collection and analysis, writing of this manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of multistep ASD screening outcome Note. □ = incomplete participants, ○ = not at-risk/healthy, ◊ = at-risk. “Dev/Lang delay” includes children diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay, and receptive and/or expressive language disorders. “Other” includes one child diagnosed with Phonological Disorder.
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