99 SCOPE study design 5 Care-as-usual (CAU) The control condition (CAU) includes regular care trajectories for young children with (signs of) ASD. These trajectories are highly variable and depend on the severity of symptoms, parental wishes and preferences and available services in the specific region. Examples are speech therapy or physiotherapy, referral to an audiology center, but also referral to a specialized daycare center or a referral for clinical assessment and treatment offered by a specialized healthcare center for infant psychiatry. Also it is not uncommon that, after signs of ASD have been identified, a wait-and-see approach is chosen by parents and/or professionals. In that case, CAU could also mean no treatment is offered to children and parents in the control condition. Outcomes An overview of the study parameters and how they will be assessed can be found in Table 2. Baseline measures During baseline (T1), the following data will be collected. Demographics. Demographic characteristics (i.e. information about ethnics, parental and/ or sibling psychiatry and education levels) are recorded via single questions that parents complete online. Intelligence quotient (IQ). For the cognitive developmental level of the child, the cognition scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III; [Bayley, 2006]) will be conducted. Index scores will be reported. Test-retest and inter-examiner reliability show good results. Dutch norms are available and the instrument is deemed as valid. Problem behavior. Problem behavior is measured by the Brief Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment-Revised (BITSEA; [Briggs-Gowan et al., 2004]), a short questionnaire sensitive to social-emotional and behavioral problems, autism spectrum disorders, and delays in social-emotional competence in early childhood. It consists of 42 items, rated across a 3-point Likert scale. A total score will be calculated. The BITSEA has excellent testretest reliability and good inter-rater agreement (Briggs-Gowan et al., 2004). Parental traits of autism. Parental traits of autism are measured by the self-report questionnaire Social Interaction in Adults (in Dutch: Sociale Omgang bij Volwassenen [SOV]), a Dutch questionnaire developed by Bralten et al. (2018) completed by both parents. This questionnaire is derived from items of the Autism Spectrum Quotient and of the DSMIV section on ASD. The self-report questionnaire consists of 18 items (total scores will be calculated) and has satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.70).
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