Can the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers differentiate young children withautism from those with developmental delays?

Objective: The Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) has been demonstrate d to be sensitive to the presence of autism in otherwise normally developin g 18-month-old children. However, its ability to differentiate autism from other significant developmental delays is unknown. This study examined this question, Method: The CHAT was applied to a group of 44 children aged 2 an d 3 years, rigorously diagnosed with autism or with other developmental pro blems. Results: By the original CHAT authors' criteria, the sensitivity and specificity of the CHAT were 65% and 100%, respectively. Slightly altering the criteria resulted in a sensitivity of 85% in the current group of chil dren with developmental disabilities while maintaining specificity of 100%. Conclusions: The current study is the first to demonstrate that the CHAT s uccessfully discriminates 2-year-old children with autism from those with o ther developmental disorders. In addition, the increased sensitivity of the Denver Criteria in children with developmental disabilities may improve it s usefulness as a screening tool for community-based early-diagnostic teams and general practitioners.