New two-minute questionnaire may detect autism in toddlers

Researchers have developed a twominute questionnaire for parents that could help pediatricians and other primary care providers detect autism in toddlers at a time when intervention might be crucial According to the researchers the Psychological Development Questionnaire PDQ1 had an 88 per cent likelihood of correctly identifying which of the youngsters that screened positive because of the questionnaire had autism spectrum disorder ASDThe availability of valid and efficient screeners like the PDQ1 may enhance our ability to detect ASD in young children and expand the number of youngsters receiving early intervention said lead author of the study Walter Zahorodny Associate Professor at Rutgers UniversityFor the study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics researchers examined 1959 children who were between 18 to 36montholdThey received screening through a network of cooperating pediatric practices and were not known to have any developmental problemsThose who got low PDQ1 scores were considered to be at risk of ASD and received comprehensive developmental evaluations to determine whether they were on the spectrumThe new screening test correctly identified autism in children from all socioeconomic communities the researchers saidSome of the PDQ1 questions posed to parents include whether the child points or gestures to show interest or get attention responds to their name enjoys playing peekaboo speaks in phrases and relates to othersThe researcher also said that the findings provide preliminary evidence in support of the PDQ1The new tools may provide a practical alternative to the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and the followup MCHATRF which requires a telephone interview in addition to screeningWhile the early detection of ASD is challenging and no single behavioural or observational approach is likely to be reliable for all children the researchers believe their new screening method is promising and deserves wider application and studyCatch up on all the latest Mumbai National and International news hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the goThe contentreporting displayed on our website wwwmiddaycom is provided ASIS AS AVAILABLE by us from third party agencies sources without any verification from our side It may contain error bugs and other limitations The readers can rely on the content at their own will Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability data text images video messages or any other material whatsoever or for any claimslossaction that the reader may suffer as a result of relying on the content on our site Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever