26-04-2015 | Original Paper
Screening for Autism in Iranian Preschoolers: Contrasting M-CHAT and a Scale Developed in Iran
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders | Uitgave 9/2015
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Suitable screening instruments for the early diagnosis of autism are not readily available for use with preschoolers in non-Western countries. This study evaluated two tools: M-CHAT which is widely used internationally and one developed in Iran called Hiva. A population sample was recruited of nearly 3000 preschoolers in one Iranian city. Parents self-completed the two tools and children who screened positive were invited for a follow-up interview followed by a diagnostic assessment. The Hiva scale proved to be more efficacious in identifying children with ASD and the resulting prevalence rate was higher than that previously reported for Iranian 5 year olds. The study confirms the need to attune screening tools to the cultural contexts in which they are used.