Systematic Review of the Measurement Properties of Tools Used to Measure Behaviour Problems in Young Children with Autism

BackgroundBehaviour problems are common in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are many different tools used to measure behavior problems but little is known about their validity for the population.ObjectivesTo evaluate the measurement properties of behaviour problems tools used in evaluation of intervention or observational research studies with children with ASD up to the age of six years.MethodsBehaviour measurement tools were identified as part of a larger, two stage, systematic review. First, sixteen major electronic databases, as well as grey literature and research registers were searched, and tools used listed and categorized. Second, using methodological filters, we searched for articles examining the measurement properties of the tools in use with young children with ASD in ERIC, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. The quality of these papers was then evaluated using the COSMIN checklist.ResultsWe identified twelve tools which had been used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD, and fifteen studies which investigated the measurement properties of six of these tools. There was no evidence available for the remaining six tools. Two questionnaires were found to be the most robust in their measurement properties, the Child Behavior Checklist and the Home Situations Questionnaire—Pervasive Developmental Disorders version.ConclusionsWe found patchy evidence on reliability and validity, for only a few of the tools used to measure behaviour problems in young children with ASD. More systematic research is required on measurement properties of tools for use in this population, in particular to establish responsiveness to change which is essential in measurement of outcomes of intervention.PROSPERO Registration NumberCRD4201200222

Flow Diagram of searching and sifting for Stage 2.

<p>Search Results up to date as of <b>22</b>^<b>nd</b><b>December 2014</b> (original search and update combined). Final total for data extraction = 126 of which 15 papers assessed the measurement properties of relavent behaviour tools.</p

Flow Diagram of Searching and Sifting for Stage 1.

<p>Search results are up to date as of 17^th July 2013 (original search and update combined). Final total for data extraction = 184 (of which 29 papers included a measure of behaviour problems).</p