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The recent adaptation of a Chinese parent version of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale showed the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale to be reliable and valid for use in China. The aim of this study was to test the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale for fit to the Rasch model. We analysed data from a previous study of the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale which comprised 1593 non-cases and 420 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We used super items based on groups of locally dependent items and item deletion when necessary to achieve good fit to the model for each of the three subscales identified by Zhou et al. and for the full 59-item Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale. The resulting conversion tables enable the use of genuine unidimensional, interval level scores for the total score and three subscales. Reliability was high with Person Separation Index values ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 for the three subscales and 0.79 for the total scale. In addition, we were able to identify a full-scale version of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale and its three subscales that are all free of differential item functioning in relation to the five person factors recorded namely age, sex, caseness, relative and city. In future studies, the Teacher version of the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale needs examination with Rasch analysis.

The recent adaptation of a Chinese parent version of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale showed the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale to be reliable and valid for use in China. The aim of this study was to test the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale for fit to the Rasch model. We analysed data from a previous study of the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale which comprised 1593 non-cases and 420 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We used super items based on groups of locally dependent items and item deletion when necessary to achieve good fit to the model for each of the three subscales identified by Zhou et al. and for the full 59-item Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale. The resulting conversion tables enable the use of genuine unidimensional, interval level scores for the total score and three subscales. Reliability was high with Person Separation Index values ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 for the three subscales and 0.79 for the total scale. In addition, we were able to identify a full-scale version of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale and its three subscales that are all free of differential item functioning in relation to the five person factors recorded namely age, sex, caseness, relative and city. In future studies, the Teacher version of the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale needs examination with Rasch analysis. The Autism Spectrum Rating Scale is a behavioural rating scale completed by parents and teachers that is useful for identifying children with an autism spectrum disorder. The development of a modified Autism Spectrum Rating Scale suitable for use in China is important for the identification of children in China with an autism spectrum disorder. In this study, we examined the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale using a statistical technique known as Rasch analysis. Rasch analysis tests whether the questionnaire meets the standards for modern scientific measurement. We used Rasch analysis to examine data from 2013 children in China including 420 diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder who had been rated by a parent or grandparent. After removing a small number of items (questions), the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale met the stringent criteria for Rasch measurement. The availability of a reliable and precise tool for assessing behaviours characteristic of an autism spectrum disorder in Chinese children will improve the identification and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in China, thus enabling better provision of support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lay Abstract: The Autism Spectrum Rating Scale is a behavioural rating scale completed by parents and teachers that is useful for identifying children with an autism spectrum disorder. The development of a modified Autism Spectrum Rating Scale suitable for use in China is important for the identification of children in China with an autism spectrum disorder. In this study, we examined the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale using a statistical technique known as Rasch analysis. Rasch analysis tests whether the questionnaire meets the standards for modern scientific measurement. We used Rasch analysis to examine data from 2013 children in China including 420 diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder who had been rated by a parent or grandparent. After removing a small number of items (questions), the Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale met the stringent criteria for Rasch measurement. The availability of a reliable and precise tool for assessing behaviours characteristic of an autism spectrum disorder in Chinese children will improve the identification and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in China, thus enabling better provision of support services.

This study aimed to obtain the first national estimate of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Chinese children. We targeted the population of 6 to 12-year-old children for this prevalence study by multistage convenient cluster sampling. The Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale was used for the screening process. Of the target population of 142,086 children, 88.5% (n = 125,806) participated in the study. A total of 363 children were confirmed as having ASD. The observed ASD prevalence rate was 0.29% (95% CI: 0.26%-0.32%) for the overall population. After adjustment for response rates, the estimated number of ASD cases was 867 in the target population sample, thereby achieving an estimated prevalence of 0.70% (95% CI: 0.64%-0.74%). The prevalence was significantly higher in boys than in girls (0.95%; 95% CI: 0.87%-1.02% versus 0.30%; 95% CI: 0.26%-0.34%; P < 0.001). Of the 363 confirmed ASD cases, 43.3% were newly diagnosed, and most of those (90.4%) were attending regular schools, and 68.8% of the children with ASD had at least one neuropsychiatric comorbidity. Our findings provide reliable data on the estimated ASD prevalence and comorbidities in Chinese children.

This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Chinese parent version of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS, 6-18 years) for a general sample of Chinese children. The study involved assessing 1625 community-based subjects aged 6-12 years from four sites (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Harbin city) in China and 211 clinic-based participants aged 6-18 with a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from 0.585 to 0.929, and the test-retest reliability (interclass correlations) ranged from 0.542 to 0.749, indicating no significant difference between the two tests at an interval of 2-4 weeks. The construct validity was relatively excellent, and the concurrent validity with the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) (Pearson correlations) was 0.732 between the two total scores. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses showed excellent and comparable discriminant validity of the ASRS with respect to the SRS, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9507 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97) versus 0.9703 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98), respectively. Our data suggested a cutoff ≥60 for the Chinese version of the ASRS, with good accuracy in screening autism symptoms (sensitivity=94.2%, specificity=77%). The Chinese parent version of the ASRS is therefore a reliable and valid tool for screening autistic symptoms in Chinese children in general., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)