Utility of the 3Di Short Version for the Diagnostic Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Compatibility with DSM-5.

Geerte Slappendel,Jorieke Duvekot,Ad Van Der Sijde,Kirstin Greaves-Lord,David Skuse,Jan Van Der Ende,William Mandy,Frank C Verhulst

doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2713-9

Abstract

The Developmental Diagnostic Dimensional Interview-short version (3Di-sv) provides a brief standardized parental interview for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study explored its validity, and compatibility with DSM-5 ASD. 3Di-sv classifications showed good sensitivity but low specificity when compared to ADOS-2-confirmed clinical diagnosis. Confirmatory factor analyses found a better fit against a DSM-5 model than a DSM-IV-TR model of ASD. Exploration of the content validity of the 3Di-sv for the DSM-5 revealed some construct underrepresentation, therefore we obtained data from a panel of 3Di-trained clinicians from ASD-specialized centers to recommend items to fill these gaps. Taken together, the 3Di-sv provides a solid basis to create a similar instrument suitable for DSM-5. Concrete recommendations are provided to improve DSM-5 compatibility.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2713-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex process that requires standardized collection of information through both child observations and parental interviews, as well as other information concerning the functioning of the child (Falkmer et al 2013; Ozonoff et al 2005)
This study explored its validity, and compatibility with DSM-5 ASD. 3Di-sv classifications showed good sensitivity but low specificity when compared to Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2)-confirmed clinical diagnosis
While the confidence intervals for the sensitivity and specificity of the 3Di-sv in specialized ASD centers were wide, resulting in the differences with general centers being non-significant, the values do seem to indicate that the 3Di-sv may perform better in general centers with a less complex or severe population

Summary

Introduction

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex process that requires standardized collection of information through both child observations and parental interviews, as well as other information concerning the functioning of the child (Falkmer et al 2013; Ozonoff et al 2005). One of the main reasons for this relates to feasibility, i.e. the required time investment (Matson et al 2007). Standardized parental interviews, such as the ADI-R or DISCO (Rutter et al 2003; Wing et al 2002), commonly require up to 3 h to administer. This constitutes a significant time burden on both parents and clinicians

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Discussion

Conclusion