The Risk Indicators Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorders during the First Year of Life (CIRTEA) for early detection.

Abstract

CIRTEA is a screening instrument designed as a developmental scale that uses the typical developmental parameters of the child without alterations as a reference to identify aspects of development that may be related to ASD. The questionnaire was tested in 955 babies from 0 to 12 months (529 boys and 426 girls) in the province of Malaga. The test-retest reliability and external validity of the questionnaire was explored in a clinical sample consisting of 64 infants (41 boys, 23 girls). The definitive version is made up of 23 dichotomous items organized by quarters and by development areas, referring to the perceptual, social and language aspects. Descriptive analyses of the items are presented, as well as evidence of their content validity through inter judgment validation by means of the Aiken V Coefficient and Confidence Interval and the external validity through the correlation with the MCHAT/ ES at 12 months (-.88) and at 15 months (-.89). The instrument is sensitive in capturing the absence of normotypic behaviors and relating them to behaviors compatible with autism spectrum disorder, showing high predictive power for discriminating babies with typical development and cases with suspected ASD at an early age of 12 months.