Psychometric Properties of Short Version of Qualitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers in a Sample of Iranian Toddlers: A Brief Report

Background: Considering people with autism, early screening is necessary for early intervention. Parents report that questionnaires are effective tools for screening autism. The short version of the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT-10) is a new scale for screening autism in toddlers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Q-CHAT-10. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the data of the full version of Q-CHAT. We only selected data regarding 10 items, which consisted of the short version of Q-CHAT. Results: The typically developing group included 50 children with the mean age of 29.62 months, and the autism spectrum disorder group included 50 children with the mean age of 27.14 months. The mean total score was 2.1 and 6.46 for the typically developing group and the autism spectrum disorder group, respectively, which was significantly different (t[98]=-11.52, P=0.000). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the checklist was 0.78, and the test-retest reliability was 0.951 (P<0.001). The estimated area under curve was 0.935. Conclusion: The Persian version of Q-CHAT-10 has good reliability and predictive validity and it can be used for screening autism.