The M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) autism screening test is one of the most widely used autism screeners for children below 5 years old.
M-CHAT is designed to be accurate and covers a variety of behaviours commonly seen from autistic children, making it a popular autism pre-screener.
If you have concerns about your child’s milestone progress, then it’s a good idea to start with the M-CHAT questionnaire.
While M-CHAT doesn’t provide a definitive diagnosis, it does provide a directional idea of how your child is progressing as it relates to autism. Besides, it’s free, making it a better starting option than getting a referral to a child psychologist and potentially spending thousands of dollars for a false positive.
Here, you’ll learn everything that you need to know about the M-CHAT autism screening test, how it works, and what steps you should take after taking the test.
Related Article: A multi-treatment approach to autism
What Does M-CHAT Stand for?
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, also known as M-CHAT, is a 20-question screening test used to recognize potential ASD-related symptoms in children between 16 and 30 months old.
The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can cause social and communication problems, ritualized behaviours, or other developmental issues in children and adults.
Diagnosing ASD at an early age can lead to early intervention, providing better opportunities for children to thrive.
While the M-CHAT questionnaire cannot be used for diagnostic purposes, it can be a starting point to uncovering actionable next steps.
It will let you know if your suspicions of ASD should be further investigated or if you should perhaps explore other conditions.
How Does M-CHAT work?
As mentioned above, the M-CHAT questionnaire is a 20-question screening test to detect potential ASD symptoms.
The test is available online and can be completed by a child’s parents or other caregivers.
When taking the test, you’ll have to answer 20 yes/no questions, which will give you a score between 0-20.
From there, your child’s results will reveal if there is a need to further investigate and schedule an appointment with your paediatrician.
How Can You Take the M-CHAT Test?
To take this test, first select a trustworthy website that provides the official questions and results, along with appropriate examples to help you along the way.
By having a dependable guide while filling out the questionnaire, you can ensure more accurate results.
Various areas are evaluated via the M-CHAT test in order to produce the results, including:
Social Engagement
When making verbal contact a child typically makes eye contact and shares focus with the other person making eye contact and turning when their name is called is how you recognize they are engaged and listening.
These are the related questions that are asked on M-CHAT:
Does your child look at you, when talking to them?
When you call their name, does your child react?
2. Verbal Expression
Your child may start conversations with others and continue the flow of conversation when the topic changes, or they may be eager to continue it by introducing their own topics. The questions that are related to this area on M-CHAT can be:
Does your child pay enough attention and follow you when you point to something while talking to them?
When your child is interested in objects, do they point to them to show you?
3. Repetitive Behaviour
When your child is distressed or aroused with excitement, you may see them follow repetitive behavioural patterns in an attempt of self sooth. The related questions on M-CHAT include:
Does your child avoid any specific food texture?
Does your child rock their body?
4. Playing Games
If your child has concrete types of thoughts, their play may be more literal like organizing toys rather than engaging in pretend play.
The questions in this area on M-CHAT could be:
Does your child pretend to be someone else?
Does your child understand the meaning and aim of objects?
The M-CHAT aims to identify certain patterns in the way your child interacts with their environment and others.
These patterns might be considered signs of autism. However, it is essential to remember that the M-CHAT is not a diagnostic. It is a tool to indicate whether further evaluation may be required.
How Is the M-CHAT Scoring?
The score indicates the likelihood that you should get further evaluation. A lower score indicates a lower risk of autism diagnosis.
The score is delivered within three tiers or scoring groups.
The first group is where your child mayscore is between 0-2, which indicates a low risk of autism.
The second group is an M-CHAT score between 3 to 7. This indicates a moderate risk of autism. In this case, if you would want to show the result of your child’s test to a professional, they will help determine if you should consider further evaluation.
When the M-CHAT score is between 8 to 20, further assessment is the most likely next best step and your doctor or professional support will guide you from there.
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, and Follow up (M-CHAT-R/F)
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, and Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F) goes a step further for children who score in a moderate-risk range.
To avoid mis-classifying a child as potentially autistic (false positive), it includes a follow-up interview.
This interview uses specific questions to get a clearer picture of any unclear answers from the original M-CHAT-R/F and goes deeper into areas that might be cause for concern.
When Should You Consider MCHAT?
Start early should you see any signs that are causing you concern. The M-CHAT is most commonly taken when a child is between 16 to 30 months old, and with the advent of any perceived developmental delays.
If you are seeing more drastic developmental challenges, it may be prudent to schedule an appointment with your paediatrician.
Either way, M-CHAT can help to organize your thoughts. By going through the questions at home before your appointment, you have time to make sure the results are as accurate as possible for your child.
If you or your child has a family history of autism or any other developmental issues, it may be a good idea to conduct an online M-CHAT test as well.
What Are the Pros and cons of M-CHAT?
The M-CHAT is really popular, has been in the market for quite a long time, and is fairly trusted by parents and practitioners alike.
However, it’s not perfect and has some disadvantages as well. Let’s review them briefly here:
The Pros of M-CHAT:
Budget-friendly(free!)
In comparison to other screeners, M-CHAT is free to use.
Convenient
M-CHAT can be done online, from the comfort of your own home. No doctor’s office visits required!
Early Diagnosis
The M-CHAT is typically used for children who are from 16 to 30 months old which is optimal for developing an early intervention plan for your child, and accelerating growth.
Low False Negative Rate
Compared to other autism screening tests, the M-CHAT has a high level of sensitivity to various signs of autism.
So, this characteristic makes it more precise and dependable.
User-Friendly
This screener is easy to use and doesn’t have a complicated format. 20 questions all in basic format. This helps parents to administer the questionnaires easily.
The Cons of M-CHAT
Narrow Age Focus:
The M-CHAT is designed for toddlers. This tool is designed for children aged 16 to 30 months. Older children will have to find alternates.
Parental / Human Dependency
The M-CHAT is assessed and completed by parent observation which in most cases is accurate, but is prone to bias. If they are not precise enough to answer or sometimes haven’t noticed their children in the situation that the questionnaire includes, the result can lead to false positives or negatives.
Cultural and Linguistic Bias:
Recent studies show that autism screeners are affected by cultural and language differences.
Because of these kinds of diversities, the questions may be confusing and are misunderstood.
So, the answers won’t be accurate, which will impact the result of the test.
Wrapping-up: The Utilization of M-CHAT
Contemplating whether your child may be on the autism spectrum can be stressful. As a parent, you are likely on close lookout for any variations in your child’s development.
If you find any major deviations in behavior, doing regular check-ups with a pediatrician is always the best next step.
However, if you have any lingering doubts or suspicions, then M-CHAT is a fast, easy and relatively reliable way to take action.
It takes about 15 minutes and includes 20 questions. The questionnaire can be filled out by a parent and results are delivered on the spot.
The M-CHAT FAQs
What Is the Proper Age to Take the M-CHAT test?
After seeing any kind of developmental delays in your child who is between 16 to 30 months.
How Much Reliable Is M-CHAT?
It is worth mentioning that this tool is a screener, not a diagnostic tool. The approximate accuracy of the M-CHAT is 57.7 %.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the M-CHAT?
The M-CHAT includes 20 questions. The time to answer these questions depends on your speed and how familiar you are with the test. It is estimated to take approximately 15 minutes to fill out the questionnaire.
Who Administrates the M-CHAT?
The M-CHAT is a parental test. So, the child’s parents or caregivers can manage it. However, when the score is from 8 to 30, further assessment by a specialist is required.