Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40372565›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Sensitivity and Specificity of Developmental Surveillance and Autism Screening in an Australian Multicultural Cohort: The Watch Me Grow Study.

Charmaine Bernie, Alicia Montgomery, Louise Sealy, Joseph Descallar, Cheryl Dissanayake, Bin Jalaludin, Elisabeth Murphy, Sue Woolfenden, Katrina Williams, Valsamma Eapen

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Charmaine BernieSouthern Cross University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1427-6724
Alicia MontgomerySchool of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Louise SealySydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Joseph DescallarIngham Institute of Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia.
Cheryl DissanayakeOlga Tennison Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Bin JalaludinIngham Institute of Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia.
Elisabeth MurphyNew South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Sue WoolfendenSydney Institute of Women, Children and Their Families, Sydney Local Health District, New South Wales, Australia.
Katrina WilliamsDepartment of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Valsamma EapenSchool of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. v.eapen@unsw.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-8306

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council 1013690
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To examine accuracy of two-tiered surveillance to detect developmental disability and autism in a multicultural birth cohort; a subset of the Watch Me Grow Study. Surveillance tools were used at or soon after 18 months of age, including the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), and the revised Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT-R/F). Children with and without identified concerns were assessed between 18 and 23 months using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2). Sensitivity and specificity of the surveillance tools used in isolation and in combination in this cohort ranged from 51 to 87% (n = 165). Some children (n = 21) who were not identified with high likelihood of difficulties were later assessed as having probable developmental disability. Adding the M-CHAT-R/F did not significantly improve autism likelihood identification in comparison with tiered developmental surveillance. There was highly variable sensitivity and specificity of combined tools for tiered developmental surveillance in this cohort. There remains a need in Australia to improve methods of, and engagement in, developmental screening and surveillance that includes detection of concerns in community and primary healthcare settings.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderDevelopmental DisabilitiesMass ScreeningAustraliaChild DevelopmentCohort StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMalePopulation SurveillanceSensitivity and SpecificitySurveys and QuestionnairesAutismChild developmentScreeningSurveillance

Identifiers

PMID40372565
PMCPMC13538240

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.