ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder is a growing syndrome that requires increased supports for independent living. Recent loss of stigma and increased awareness of the syndrome will likely increase parental concern for ASD in the primary care setting. As there are no guidelines on screening for ASD in school-aged children, the primary care physician or psychologist will need background knowledge and collateral information to appropriately refer for confirmatory testing. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, Third Edition (GARS-3) screeners will be reviewed to determine utility of each in a primary care setting for guiding referral to specialists for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The SCQ is a well-established screener that has excellent agreement with confirmatory testing as well as ease of administration and scoring. The GARS-3 is a new screener with limited confirmatory testing although promising psychometrics. The GARS-3 is more complicated to score, though easy to administer. The background, development, and psychometrics of each screener are discussed. Considerations for use in a primary care setting are also discussed. Pending confirmatory studies, the GARS-3 should be used with caution for screening for ASD. Finally, a case example demonstrating the use of one of the instruments is presented.
