Screening the Egyptian Children with Metabolic Disorders Using the Modified Checklist of Autism

Background: The exact cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cannot be defined but, it is proved by recent studies that there is great association between the diagnosis of ASD symptoms and presence of different metabolic disorders which should be taken in consideration in management of autistic children.Aim of the Work: is to diagnose the presence of ASD among metabolic disorders affected children by screening using M-CHAT-R/F.Patients and Methods: This is an analytical (observational) cross sectional research design. The study was done on a convenient sample of 100 children with a diagnosis of different Metabolic Disorders ranging age between (16-30) months, using the validated Arabic version of Modified Checklist of Autism- Revised and Follow up (M-CHAT R/F).Results: there was unequal distribution of 13 types of metabolic disorders among the 100 children. Testing for ASD by use of M-CHAT-R/F found low risk (safe) in 22% of children, moderate risk in 58% of children and high risk for ASD in 20% of children.Conclusion: Children with metabolic disorders are very susceptible to suffer from ASD. Physicians should work hard to recognize the early symptoms of autism to ensure early management and better prognosis.