In particular , there is little evidence that the identified tools would be good at detecting change in intervention studies .
The obvious gaps in available outcome measurement include well-being and participation outcomes for children , and family quality -of-life outcomes , domains particularly valued by our informants ( young people with ASD and parents ) .
This is the first systematic review of the quality and appropriateness of tools design ed to monitor progress and outcomes of young children with ASD .
BACKGROUND The needs of children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) are complex and this is reflected in the number and diversity of outcomes assessed and measurement tools used to collect evidence about children 's progress .
Relevant outcomes include improvement in core ASD impairments , such as communication , social awareness , sensory sensitivities and repetitiveness ; skills such as social functioning and play ; participation outcomes such as social inclusion ; and parent and family impact .
OBJECTIVES To examine the measurement properties of tools used to measure progress and outcomes in children with ASD up to the age of 6 years .
To identify outcome areas regarded as important by people with ASD and parents .
Outcome at 7 years of children diagnosed with autism at age 2: predictive validity of assessments conducted at 2 and 3 years of age and pattern of symptom change over time.
OBJECTIVE To examine the predictive validity of symptom severity , cognitive and language measures  taken at ages 2 and 3 years to outcome at age 7 in a sample of children diagnosed with autism at age 2 . METHOD Twenty-six children diagnosed with autism at age 2 were re-assessed at ages 3 and 7 years . At each age  symptom severity , cognitive and language assessment s  were completed . RESULTS The pattern of autistic symptom severity varied over time by domain . Across time , children moved across diagnostic boundaries both in terms of clinical diagnosis and in terms of instrument diagnosis on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised ( ADI-R ) . On all measures group variability in scores increased with age . Although non-verbal IQ ( NVIQ ) for the group as a whole was stable across the 3 assessment s , this masked considerable individual instability . St and ard assessment s at age 2 did not predict outcome at age 7 even within the same domain of functioning . In contrast , st and ard assessment s at age 3 did predict outcome . However , a measure of rate of non-verbal communicative acts taken from an interactive play-based assessment at age 2 was significantly associated with language , communication and social outcomes at age 7 . CONCLUSIONS The trajectory of autism symptoms over time differed in different domains , suggesting that they may be , at least in part , separable . Variability in language , NVIQ and symptom severity increased over time . Caution is required when interpreting the findings from assessment s of children with autism at age 2 years . At this age measures of rate of non-verbal communication might be more informative than scores on st and ard psychometric tests . Predictive validity of assessment s at age 3 years was greater
In particular , there is little evidence that the identified tools would be good at detecting change in intervention studies .
The obvious gaps in available outcome measurement include well-being and participation outcomes for children , and family quality -of-life outcomes , domains particularly valued by our informants ( young people with ASD and parents ) .
This is the first systematic review of the quality and appropriateness of tools design ed to monitor progress and outcomes of young children with ASD .
BACKGROUND The needs of children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) are complex and this is reflected in the number and diversity of outcomes assessed and measurement tools used to collect evidence about children 's progress .
Relevant outcomes include improvement in core ASD impairments , such as communication , social awareness , sensory sensitivities and repetitiveness ; skills such as social functioning and play ; participation outcomes such as social inclusion ; and parent and family impact .
OBJECTIVES To examine the measurement properties of tools used to measure progress and outcomes in children with ASD up to the age of 6 years .
To identify outcome areas regarded as important by people with ASD and parents .