[Psychometric attributes of the Spanish version of A-TAC screening scale for autism spectrum disorders]

Background: As there are no biological markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), screening must focus on behaviour and the presence of a markedly abnormal development or a deficiency in verbal and non-verbal social interaction and communication.

Objective: To evaluate the psychometric attributes of a Spanish version of the autism domain of the Autism-Tics, AD/HD and other Comorbidities Inventory (A-TAC) scale for ASD screening.

Material and methods: A total of 140 subjects (43% male, 57% female) aged 6-16, with ASD (n=15), Mental Retardation (n=40), Psychiatric Illness (n=22), Tics (n=12) and controls (n=51), were included for ASD screening. The predictive validity, acceptability, scale assumptions, internal consistency, and precision were analysed.

Results: The internal consistency was high (α=0.93), and the standard error was adequate (1.13 [95% CI, -1.08 a 3.34]). The mean scores of the Autism module were higher in patients diagnosed with ASD and mental disability compared to the rest of the patients (P<.001). The area under the curve was 0.96 for the ASD group.

Conclusion: The autism domain of the A-TAC scale seems to be a reliable, valid and precise tool for ASD screening in the Spanish school population.