Autism Early Screening Tool

March 12, 2022

Australia’s La Trobe University in Melbourne developed an early screening tool that can detect autism in children aged between 12 and 24 months.

About the new tool

The new tool is known as SACS (Social Attention and Communication Surveillance). It has two elements: SACS-Revised and SACS-Preschool.
The SACS tool is translated into eight languages and is currently used in the following 11 countries: Bangladesh, China, Italy, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the UK.

Testing of the new tool

Researchers belonging to Australia’s La Trobe University conducted a five-year study on around 13,500 children. Of the children aged between 12 and 24 months “flagged by the screening tool,” 83% were later diagnosed with autism. This study is published by the medical journal called JAMA Open Network.

Advantage of the new tool

The SACS tool can diagnose autism about four years earlier than current tools. If autism is diagnosed at an early age, life outcomes can be better for people with autism.

M-CHAT

M-CHAT (the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is the standard test used currently, which can diagnose autism between the ages of 4 and 6 years. M-CHAT has an accuracy of 6%, much lower than the SACS-Revised tool’s 83% accuracy.

About Autism

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder. People with autism face difficulties in social communication and are characterized by restricted and repetitive behaviors.

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