Assessment of psychometric properties of autism spectrum diagnostic profile (ASDP) among Egyptian children aged 2–12 years

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that has profound effects on multiple dimensions of functioning in young children. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of a new diagnostic tool for the assessment of ASD among Egyptian children. One hundred ninety children, aged between 2-12 years, from both sexes were divided into two equal groups: Group A included 95 patients with ASD and group B included 95 typically developing control children matched in age and sex. The clinical assessment included the application of the DSM-5 criteria for ASD, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS-2), and the new tool “Autism Spectrum Diagnostic Profile (ASDP)” to both groups. ASDP tool is highly reliable; the alpha score for the parents’ interview scale was 0.989, the observation session scale was 0.986, and the total score was 0.992. The ASDP tool was successful in differentiating between the ASD and non-ASD groups with a high level of significance (P < 0.001). Additionally, ASDP scores correlate with scores of CARS-2 scale. The ASDP demonstrated a consistent structural design, with item scores aligning coherently with the corresponding subdomains of the scale. Its diagnostic efficacy in identifying mild, moderate, and severe levels of autism was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The tool showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in detecting mild cases, and sensitivity of 90% for both moderate and severe cases, with corresponding specificity values of 90.6% and 83.5%, respectively. The findings of this study support the use of ASDP as a reliable and valid tool for diagnosis of ASD in children through its interview form, child observation form, or the complete tool.