Adaptação do instrumento TASI (Toddler Autism Symptom Inventory) para avaliação diagnóstica do espectro autista no Brasil

Abstract

The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is based on clinical assessment using standardized instruments. In Brazil, there are few instruments for diagnosing ASD focused on the age range of 12 to 36 months, translated and adapted to our culture and language. The objective of this study was the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the TASI® (Toddler Autism Symptom Inventory) instrument for use in our country. It is a brief interview, with high sensitivity and specificity with an easy-to-understand scoring system that allows identifying the probability of autism in children aged 12 to 36 months. The methodology adopted was based on similar research with the following steps: permission from the authors of the original instrument, translation, back-translation, equivalence analysis and criticism by experts. The instrument's sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated in relation to the CARS scale and medical diagnosis in a sample of 40 children. Due to the late diagnosis of ASD, especially in the third world, the socioeconomic and developmental impact is significant, making it necessary to create new tools so that early and assertive interventions are enabled and implemented. The present study made available the first version of TASI® for Brazilian Portuguese, which will possibly facilitate the diagnosis of cases before the age of 3.