TRAS: Validity and sensitivity of a language assessment tool for children with ASD.

The study investigates the potential usefulness of the Norwegian assessment tool TRAS - Early Detection of Language Development - for assessing the language skills of kindergarten children with autism spectrum diagnoses (ASD). This tool can be used by kindergarten teachers without having to undergo specific training. The study analysed: (1) TRAS' validity in relation to an established and validated assessment instrument, the second edition of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Vineland II), and (2) TRAS' ability to detect changes over time, particularly during an intervention programme.

The results showed that the TRAS scores increased significantly over time, indicating that the tool is sensitive to intervention effects. The TRAS scores also showed a clear correlation with the Vineland communication subscale, meaning the measurement can be used to assess the language skills of children with ASD. The researchers behind the study conclude that TRAS may be a possible alternative to more comprehensive language assessment tools for children with ASD.

The participants were 54 children with ASD, aged two to five years old, who participated in a behavioural intervention programme in Sweden. TRAS was used to assess participants at three points during an intervention programme to investigate how sensitive TRAS is in detecting changes. Only participants who had TRAS results detected at all three points were included in the study (n = 27). At the start, the children were also assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and the results were then compared with the TRAS results.

Hansén‐Larson, J., Bejnö, H., Jägerskogh, E., Eikeseth, S. & Klintwall, L. (2021). "TRAS: Validity and sensitivity of a language assessment tool for children with ASD". Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 62(4):522-528.