Can we improve how we screen for behaviours associated with ASD in children and young people? Evidence from adaptations of the Strengths and Difficult

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are increasing in prevalence, and children and young people with ASD
often need additional support to offset a marked educational disadvantage. This support commonly relies
upon individuals having formal diagnoses of ASD. Who does or does not get a formal diagnosis depends
partly upon 'screening' for behaviours that may be indicative of ASD.
Professionals working with children and young people with ASD currently experience a problem: There is
no brief, cost-effective way to screen for ASD. This means many children who could benefit from support
may be missing out by not being directed to services providing formal diagnoses.
This project responds to this problem by considering how the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
(SDQ) - already used to screen for behavioural disorders - can be adapted to screen for behaviours
associated with ASD in children and young people in the UK. The eventual proposed adaptation will be
tested by analysing ASD and SDQ data from a large UK study of over 10,000 children from ages 3-13
(285 with a formal diagnosis of ASD by age 13). This project has the potential to provide many more
children and young people with the opportunity to get the diagnoses, and therefore the support, that
they need.