Table 1.

Description of PEDS and M-CHAT screening outcomes and referral examples^a

Screening outcomeb	Description of concerns	Typical referrals
PEDS Path A  High risk of developmental disability	Multiple developmental and frequent behavioral concerns	Further evaluation Specialty referrals if warranted (medical, mental health) Early intervention (age 0 –2 years) or early childhood special education (age 3–5 years)
PEDS Path B  Moderate risk of developmental disability	At least one developmental concern and other behavioral concerns	Further evaluation if warranted Early intervention or early childhood program
PEDS Path C  Elevated risk for behavioral or mental health problems	Behavioral or mental health concerns but no developmental concerns	Further evaluation if warranted Specialty referrals if warranted (medical, mental health) Early intervention program
PEDS Path E  Low risk of developmental disability	No concerns of any type	Early childhood program such as Head Start Annual rescreening
M-CHAT: Fail	Shows possible signs of an autism spectrum disorder	Refer to state’s developmental disability regional center for autism diagnostic evaluation Follow PEDS referral pathway per developmental screening results
M-CHAT: Pass	No signs of an autism spectrum disorder. Other developmental concerns may still be present.	Follow PEDS referral pathway per developmental screening results

^aAs a standard, all referrals included vision, hearing, and lead screening as well as recommendation of early childhood education programs.

^bOral administration of the PEDS eliminates use of Path D which records questionable results for parents who have difficulty understanding the printed version of the PEDS.

PEDS, Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status; M-CHAT, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers