Overview
The Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI; Bryson, McDermott, Rombough, Brian, & Zwaigenbaum, 2000) is a semi-structured, play-based measure designed to identify early signs of autism in high-risk infants (i.e., those who have an older sibling with autism). The AOSI is an 18-item direct observational measure designed to detect and monitor putative signs of autism in infants aged 6-18 months. Seven activities provide opportunities to observe behaviors in the following areas: visual tracking, disengagement of attention, orientation to name, reciprocal social smiling, differential response to facial emotion, social anticipation, and imitation. Target behaviors are rated on a scale of 0 to 2 or 3, with 0 implying typical function and scores of 1-3 representing increasing severity of impairment (for most items). Currently, the AOSI is used as a research instrument. It remains unpublished and is not commercially available.
Summary
Age: 1 year - 1.5 years
Time to Administer: 20 minutes
Method of Administration: Note: Age range is 6 - 18 months.
18-item direct observational measure wherein examiners give a standard set of seven activities administered in an interactive, play-based format.
Yields indication of the presence or absence of skill in each of the areas assessed.
Subscales: Visual Tracking; Disengagement of Attention; Orientation to Name; Reciprocal Social Smiling; Differential Response to Facial Emotion; Social Anticipation; Imitation
Screening/Diagnosis: S
Note: Instrument requires special training to administer.
Autism Related Research
The clinical utility of the AOSI may be limited since it remains unpublished, but one study regarding general use of the instrument is included in the table below. In addition, research with a special population has indicated that the AOSI is a useful tool in determining infants with tuberous sclerosis complex are at increased risk for developing ASD (Capal et al., 2017).
Bryson, Zwaigenbaum, McDermott, Rombough, & Brian (2008)
Age Range: 6, 12, and 18 month-old participants
Sample Size: 32, 34, and 26
Topics Addressed:
Interrater reliability and test-retest reliability
Outcome:Bryson, Zwaigenbaum, McDermott, Rombough, & Brian (2008)
Interrater reliability was good to excellent at 6 (0.74), 12 (0.93), and 18 months (0.94) for total scores; Across ages = 0.92 (unweighted kappas). Test-retest reliability was acceptable at 12 months (0.61) (intra-class correlations). Reliability of individual items was generally good, though lower estimates were obtained for a subset of items, particularly in 6-month-olds.
Conclusion: the AOSI provides a reliable means of documenting early signs thought to be indicative of autism.