Psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of the autism diagnostic observation Schedule-Generic.

Researchers tested a Mandarin (Chinese) version of a widely used autism assessment tool called ADOS-G with over 550 people with autism and 50 typically developing people. The tool showed good reliability when different assessors used it and when the same person was tested twice. It also correlated well with other autism assessment tools and successfully distinguished between people with autism and those without. This means the Mandarin version is a reliable tool for diagnosing autism in Chinese-speaking communities.

This validation study examined the psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) in 554 individuals with ASD and 50 typically developing controls aged 4-34 years. The Mandarin-ADOS-G demonstrated good inter-rater reliability (0.91 classification agreement), acceptable test-retest reliability (0.55-0.73), and variable internal consistency (0.27-0.86). Concurrent validity was established through correlations with the Chinese ADI-R (0.22-0.37) and Social Responsiveness Scale (0.15-0.23). All domains successfully discriminated between autistic and typically developing individuals (p<0.001).

The findings support the Mandarin-ADOS-G as a reliable and valid diagnostic tool for autism assessment in Mandarin-speaking populations.

The Mandarin-ADOS-G provides a culturally appropriate, validated diagnostic tool for autism assessment in Mandarin-speaking populations. Its good reliability and discriminative validity support its clinical use, though variable internal consistency across modules suggests some caution needed in interpretation.

Internal consistency varied widely across modules (0.27-0.86), with some showing poor reliability. Concurrent validity correlations were modest. The study design is not specified in the abstract, limiting assessment of methodology quality.

The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), involving multiple components of clinical assessments, is challenging. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G), one of the standardized and validated instruments for ASD diagnostic evaluation, has been widely used in many countries. With the preparation of the Mandarin version of the ADOS-G (Mandarin-ADOS-G), this study aims to examine its psychometric properties, including reliability and validity. The sample included 554 individuals clinically diagnosed with ASD (477 males, 86.1%) and 50 typically developing (TD) individuals (29 males, 58.0%) who were assessed with different modules of the Mandarin-ADOS-G between 4.1 and 34.0 years old with a mean age of 13.0 years (Module 1, n = 40; Module 2, n = 46; Module 3, n = 275; Module 4, n = 243).

We evaluated the inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity with the Chinese Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) caregiver-report and self-report forms. The discriminative validity of Mandarin-ADOS-G was also examined. The Mandarin-ADOS-G demonstrated good inter-rater reliability (agreement of ADOS classification 0.91), good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlations 0.55-0.73), and low to high good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.27-0.86). The concurrent validity showed significant correlations with ADI-R (Pearson correlations 0.22-0.37) and the SRS caregiver-report form (Pearson correlations 0.15-0.23).

Moreover, all Mandarin-ADOS-G domains successfully differentiated autistic individuals from TD individuals (all p-values <0.001). The Mandarin-ADOS-G is a reliable and valid instrument for assisting the diagnosis of ASD in the Mandarin-speaking population.