Diagnostic Instruments for Autism in Deaf Children Study

The trial is in three stages and will translate and validate screening and assessment instruments for use with deaf children. The first stage is modifying the screening and assessment instruments (ADI-R and ADOS-2) for use with deaf children. This will involve choosing the most promising screening instrument (SRS-2) based on the systematic review and the expertise of a review panel, which contains experts and public and patient involvement (PPI). This phase of the study seeks a wide range of user (parents/ carers and young people) views and experiences about the symptomatology and presentation of deaf children with autism, comparing this to hearing children with autism, and deaf children without autism. The second stage is to ensure that the newly modified instruments are accessible to deaf children and deaf parents by making any necessary translations from English into British Sign Language. This involves a strict translation and back translation methodology with reiterations until successful translation is achieved. For stage three in order to ensure that the new questionnaires are successfully identifying children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the modified instrument will be validated using a 'gold standard'. The current 'gold standard' for the mental health screening of Deaf children is a clinical interview administered by experienced senior multidisciplinary deaf child mental health clinicians.