Source
Louisiana State University, Psychology, Baton Rouge, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE:
The purpose was to develop cut-off scores for a measure of developmental level (Battelle Developmental Inventory-Second Edition; BDI-2) which could be used as a screening tool to differentiate young children with possible autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
METHODS:
Infants and toddlers with ASD (n = 604) and atypically-developing infants and toddlers (n = 1064) were administered the BDI-2. Cut-off scores were determined based on standard deviations from the mean of the ASD group.
RESULTS:
Using 1.5 standard deviations from the mean of the ASD group, a cut-off score of 96 was determined which had a sensitivity of 0.94 and a specificity of 0.31.
CONCLUSIONS:
With high sensitivity, these cut-off scores can be used to identify children who require further assessment. In addition, the measure can be used to determine treatment targets.