Factor structure and diagnostic fidelity of the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits–Part 1 (BISCUIT–part 1)

Abstract

Objective: Due to the effectiveness of early intervention on the outcome of individuals with ASD, there is a race to identify children with ASD at younger ages. The Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits–Part 1 (BISCUIT–Part 1) is a new assessment tool designed to assess symptoms of ASD in children between the ages of 17–37 months. The aim of this study was to identify the factor structure of BISCUIT–Part 1 and investigate group differences with regards to these factors.

Methods: Participants (n = 1287) were enrolled in a state-funded early intervention programme for children at-risk for a developmental disability. The BISCUIT was administered to a parent or other significant caregiver along with other developmental measures as part of the assessment protocol for the early intervention programme.

Results: The exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution consistent with symptom clusters characteristic of ASD. Furthermore, participants diagnosed with ASD exhibited significantly higher scores on the factors of the BISCUIT–Part 1, compared to toddlers without a diagnosis of ASD.

Conclusion: The BISCUIT–Part 1 shows promise in aiding clinicians in the diagnosis of ASD in infants and toddlers.

• BISCUIT–part 1
• PDD-NOS
• autism
• assessment
• babies
• infants