Editorial: The Critical Examination of Autism Screening Tools: A Call for Addressing False Negatives.

The study by Vivanti et al. represents a significant contribution to research on autism screening. This cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) sought to determine whether the implementation of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) during routine well-child check-ups could improve the early identification and referral rates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The trial included a diverse sample of pediatric practices, randomly assigned to either an experimental group, in which the M-CHAT-R/F was systematically implemented with high fidelity, or a control group that continued with usual care practices.