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The M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is the most commonly used autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening tool. No studies have followed children who screen negative on the M-CHAT but later receive a diagnosis of ASD (i.e., “false-negative” screens).
Researchers analyzed prospective cohort study data on nearly 70,000 Norwegian children whose parents completed the M-CHAT and other developmental surveys at 18 months (as part of the study, not during a well-child visit). Using the M-CHAT's 6-critical-item criterion, 1471 toddlers screened positive and 68,197 screened negative; of these screen-negative children, 228 were later diagnosed with ASD through standardized developmental testing. This false-negative group had lower score…