The Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) Children's Version.

Researchers tested a Korean version of an autism screening questionnaire for children aged 4-11 years. They studied 144 children - half with autism and half without. The questionnaire was very reliable and accurately identified children with autism 93% of the time while correctly identifying children without autism 99% of the time. This tool could help Korean families get earlier identification and support for their children.

This validation study examined the Korean version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient Children's Version (K-AQ-Child) as a screening tool for high-functioning autism spectrum disorder in Korean children aged 4-11 years. The study included 144 children (80.6% male, mean age 7.05 years), with 72 in the ASD group and 72 controls. The K-AQ-Child demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.962) and strong discriminant validity, with ASD children scoring significantly higher than controls across all domains. The tool showed significant positive correlation with the Korean Social Communication Questionnaire (K-SCQ).

An optimal cut-off score of 58.5 achieved high sensitivity (93.1%) and specificity (98.6%) for identifying children who may need further diagnostic evaluation.

The K-AQ-Child provides Korean clinicians with a validated screening tool for identifying children aged 4-11 years who may need comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluation. High accuracy rates support its use in clinical practice and research, potentially improving early identification and access to interventions for Korean children with high-functioning ASD.

Study limited to high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and Korean population. Relatively small sample size of 144 children may limit generalizability. Cross-cultural validity for other populations not established. Long-term predictive validity not assessed.

There is no validated screening measure for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Korea. The purpose of the present study was (1) to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Autism Spectrum-Child (K-AQ-Child); (2) to find the optimal cut-off value of the K- AQ-Child in the Korean population. A total of 144 children aged 4-11 years (male 80.6%, mean age = 7.05 ± 1.75) were recruited in this study, with 72 in the high-functioning ASD group and 72 in the non-clinical Control group. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the K-AQ-child was 0.962, showing excellent internal consistency.

For discriminant validity, the ASD group scored significantly higher than the Control group on the total score and all the scores of the subdomains of the K-AQ-Child after controlling for sex. Significant positive correlation between total scores of the K-AQ-Child and the K-SCQ was found. The optimal cut-off value of 58.5 yielded a sensitivity of 0.931 and specificity of 0.986. K-AQ-Child is a valid and reliable measure to quantify autistic traits and identify the high-risk individuals for further diagnostic evaluation in intellectually capable children aged 4-11 years.

It would be useful for both clinical practice and research purposes.Clinical Trial Registration The trial was registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) of Republic of Korea (Registration Number: KCT0008907).