M-CHAT-R/F: Assessing its Screening Potential for Autism in Toddlers

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F), is globally employed for screening autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study calculated psychometric properties of the M-CHAT-R/F for subsequent diagnosis of ASD by Systematically searching reputed databases and including relevant studies.

The study observed-

• Identification of 667 studies and inclusion of samples from 49841 children for the meta-analysis. 
• 57.7% pooled Positive Predictive Value (PPV). 
• Higher PPV among high-risk than low-risk samples. 
• 72.5% Pooled negative predictive value, 82.6% sensitivity, and 45.7% specificity.

These findings validate employing the M-CHAT-R/F as a screening instrument for ASD. Caregivers should be informed during counseling that a positive screening outcome may indicate a moderate likelihood of an ASD diagnosis.

Aishworiya R, et al. Meta-analysis of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised/Follow-up for Screening. Pediatrics (2023) 151 (6): e2022059393. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-059393