Turkish Validation of the Rapid Interactive Screening Test for Autism in Toddlers

This study aims to investigate the validation of the Rapid Interactive Screening Test for Autism in Toddlers (RITA-T) in Turkish toddlers between 18 and 36 months of age. Children aged 18–36 months were referred to the department of child psychiatry for concerns of autism spectrum disorder, language disorder, developmental delay, and typically developing children were enrolled. A total of 81 toddlers participating in the study received clinical interviews according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. They received the translated RIT-T from reliably trained and blinded providers. Parents completed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers form. A cut-off score was calculated based on the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of the RITA-T total score that best differentiates autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. For all participants, the RITA-T total score correlated with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (r = 0.715) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale total score (r = 0.825). Using a cut-off score of ⩾17, the RITA-T had a sensitivity of .90 and a specificity of .927 for identifying autism spectrum disorder risk. The area under the curve was .977. Our findings demonstrate that the RITA-T is effective in Turkish toddlers for the early identification of autism spectrum disorder, early intervention settings, and allowing access to treatment. Lay abstract It is important to diagnose autism spectrum disorder at an early age and to start an early intervention program without delay. In this study, we aimed to validate the Rapid Interactive Screening Test for Autism in Toddlers (RITA-T) in a group of Turkish children and found that the RITA-T which has been shown to be a valid and reliable screening test for 18- to 36-month-old children in studies conducted in different countries, is also valid in Turkish children. Similar to previous studies, our results showed that the RITA-T has good sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing children with autism spectrum disorder. We think that our study will contribute to the timely initiation of early intervention programs for many children with autism by enabling a valid test to be used in screening programs.