Validity of the Autism Mental Status Exam in Developmental Pediatrics and Primary Care Settings. (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Betz, Eugenia; Hackman, Nicole M.; Mayes, Susan; Chin, Eric M.; Ivy, Jonathan W.; Tierney, Cheryl
• Is Part Of: Global pediatric health. Volume 6(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: Autism -- Autism Mental Status Exam -- Early Autism Screening -- Pediatric Primary Care; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1177/2333794X19847905
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-794X

Abstract

The Autism Mental Status Exam (AMSE) is a brief clinician-completed observational instrument that has shown promise in identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a referred sample. Our study explores the feasibility of the AMSE in both developmental pediatric and primary care samples. Fifty-three toddlers with ASD and other disabilities were scored using the AMSE and compared with 55 typically developing toddlers. AMSE scores differed significantly between ASD, non-ASD developmental disability, and neurotypical groups. A cutoff score on the AMSE of ≥5 for ASD maximized sensitivity (81.2%) and specificity (90.5%). Score differences between groups suggest that the AMSE may be useful in a clinical setting to help identify children with possible ASD.