Validating the RISE Communication Play Protocol as a Diagnostic Tool for Autism in Early Childhood: A Pilot Study.

Researchers tested a new remote autism assessment tool called RISE CPP that parents can use at home with their young children (2-3 years old). They compared it to the standard in-person clinic assessment and found they gave nearly identical results. Doctors felt equally confident making diagnoses from both methods. This home-based assessment could make it easier for families to access autism evaluations, especially those who have difficulty getting to clinics.

This pilot study validated the RISE Communication Play Protocol (RISE CPP), a remote parent-mediated assessment tool for autism diagnosis in early childhood. Thirty-eight caregiver-child dyads (24-41 months) completed both the RISE CPP at home and the gold-standard ADOS-2 in-lab assessment. Independent clinician diagnoses showed excellent agreement between remote and in-person assessments (κ = .89), with only one discordant case. Clinicians reported similar confidence levels in their diagnoses regardless of assessment format.

Mixed-methods analysis revealed that both assessment types were acceptable to caregivers, with unique benefits and challenges for each approach. The findings provide preliminary support for RISE CPP as a diagnostic tool that could increase access to autism assessment for underserved families.

RISE CPP shows promise as a remote diagnostic tool that could improve access to autism assessment, particularly for underserved populations. The high diagnostic agreement with ADOS-2 suggests potential for reducing barriers to early diagnosis. However, larger validation studies are needed before clinical implementation.

This is a small pilot study with 38 participants, limiting generalizability. The study lacks detailed demographic information and longer-term follow-up data. Specific methodological details about the validation process are not fully described in the abstract.

There are few validated remote tools that can be used to assess for autism and to capture subtle changes in children's social communication over time. Recently, user-centered design principles were applied to develop a parent-mediated remote assessment, the Reciprocal Imitation and Social Engagement Child Play Protocol (RISE CPP) to enable researchers to capture micro-level behaviors in children, while promoting useability for researchers and families, reducing caregiver burden, and maintaining reliability. This paper describes a pilot study to validate the RISE CPP as a tool to support clinician diagnosis of autism. Thirty-eight caregiver-child dyads (24-41 months, M = 34, SD = 4; 86% male) completed a remote parent-mediated assessment at home (RISE CPP) and an in-lab clinician-led assessment (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; ADOS-2).

Independent clinician diagnosis based on observations across the remote and in-lab assessments showed agreement for all but one child (K = .89). Clinicians completing in-person and remote assessments reported similar levels of confidence in their diagnoses, t(37) = 0.93, p = .36, d = .15. Mixed-methods analysis revealed unique benefits and challenges to the remote and in-person assessments and suggested that both assessments were acceptable to caregivers. Results provide preliminary support for the RISE CPP as a diagnostic tool.

The remote administration may increase equity for clinical and research diagnostic assessments among families who are traditionally underserved and underrepresented in research.