Early Screening of the Autism Spectrum Disorders: Validity Properties and Cross-Cultural Generalizability of the First Year Inventory in Italy

Annalisa Levante,Maria Rosaria Filograna,Serena Petrocchi,Angelo Massagli,Serafino De Giorgi,Flavia Lecciso

doi:10.3390/brainsci10020108

Abstract

This study examined the cross-cultural generalisability of the First Year Inventory (FYI) on an Italian sample, testing its construct validity, consistency, and structural validity. Six hundred ninety-eight parents of children aged 11–13 months completed the questionnaire. Similarities between analyses of Italian and American/Israeli samples were found, as were demonstrations of the instrument’s construct validity and internal consistency with both groups. The original factorial structure was not demonstrated; thus, a new factorial structure was tested, and a short version of the FYI was demonstrated via confirmatory factor analysis. The findings supported the generalisability of the Italian version of the FYI and its validity. The FYI may aid in medical decision-making on further steps for referral of the child to an early diagnostic assessment.

Highlights

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by (a) persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and (b) restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests, and/or activities [1]
The analyses have shown the cross-cultural stability and generalisability of the First Year Inventory (FYI) as well as its construct validity
The FYI is a reliable tool that may be administered in another cultural context from the American and Israeli ones

Summary

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by (a) persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and (b) restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests, and/or activities [1]. To promote early detection of the risk of ASD, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics [3], several researchers [4,5,6,7,8] developed ad hoc measures for children under 24 months of age that are able to identify behaviours deviating from typical development. In this vein, a recent systematic review [9] identified 16 Level 1 and 2 screening measures for the early detection of signs of ASD: 4 observational checklists, 2 interviews, and 10 questionnaires. The authors stressed that, for several such measures, further validation studies were needed to evaluate certain methodological properties that, as yet, were not adequately investigated

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