Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Nov;51(11):4101-4114.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04839-z. Epub 2021 Jan 21.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Clinical Utility of the ADOS-2 and the ADI-R in Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children

Jenna B Lebersfeld  1 , Marissa Swanson  2 , Christian D Clesi  2 , Sarah E O'Kelley  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Clinical Utility of the ADOS-2 and the ADI-R in Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children

Jenna B Lebersfeld et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R) have high accuracy as diagnostic instruments in research settings, while evidence of accuracy in clinical settings is less robust. This meta-analysis focused on efficacy of these measures in research versus clinical settings. Articles (n = 22) were analyzed using a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (HSROC) model. ADOS-2 performance was stronger than the ADI-R. ADOS-2 sensitivity and specificity ranged from .89-.92 and .81-.85, respectively. ADOS-2 accuracy in research compared with clinical settings was mixed. ADI-R sensitivity and specificity were .75 and .82, respectively, with higher specificity in research samples (Research = .85, Clinical = .72). A small number of clinical studies were identified, indicating ongoing need for investigation outside research settings.

Keywords: ADI-R; ADOS-2; Autism spectrum disorder; Diagnosis; HSROC; Meta-analysis.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Review Manager (RevMan) [Computer program]. Version 5.3. Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014.
    1. American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., Text Revision). Washington, DC: Author.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. - DOI
    1. Baird, G., Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., Meldrum, D., & Charman, T. (2006). Prevalence of disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in South Thames: the Special Needs and Autism Project (SNAP). Lancet, 368, 210–15. - DOI
    1. Camodeca, A. (2018). Utility of three N-Item scales of the child behavior checklist 6–18 in autism diagnosis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder, 51, 75–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2018.04.004 . - DOI