A new two-minute questionnaire for parents could help pediatricians detect autism in toddlers earlier, at a time when intervention might be crucial, a new study indicates.
Lead investigator Walter Zahorodny, associate professor of pediatrics at Rutgers University, says the Psychological Development Questionnaire (PDQ-1), had an 88 percent likelihood of correctly identifying which of the children that screened positive had autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Zahorodny says the findings provide preliminary evidence in support of the questionnaire and suggest it may provide a practical alternative to the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and the follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F) which requires a telephone interview, in addition to screening.
