Autism Diagnosis Interview – Revised Version (ADI-R) is an extended interview the purpose of which is to obtain information necessary to diagnose an autism-spectrum disorder. The ADI-R is commonly used all over the world and considered to be a golden standard in the autism assessment. It is often used together with the ADOS-2.

The ADI-R user should be experienced clinician well acquainted with the autism spectrum disorders and with their various symptoms within human behaviour. It is important for the user to already have had contact with patients and a chance to observe their behaviour thereby acquiring experience necessary for detecting ASD symptoms within all types of behaviour.

The administration requires co-operation of an informant (parent or guardian). The diagnosed person – who is absent during the administration – might be of any age provided his/her mental age is at least 24 months. The administration together with score calculation usually take between 1,5 and 2,5 hours The administration procedure is highly standardized which guarantees that the informant will provide a systematic and detailed description of the person diagnosed.

The examination is conducted with the ADI-R Protocol  which is a booklet of 85 pages including 93 items related to dimensions of behaviour covered by the interview. The protocol is applied to put down and code the examinee’s answers. Then the ADI-R Algorithm Sheet  is used to calculate the score.

The interview relates mainly to three areas of functioning: language/communication, social interactions as well as fixed, repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behaviour and interest. The authors of the Polish version, Prof. Ewa Pisula and Dr. Izabela Chojnicka included in the manual most recent knowledge on Autism Spectrum Disorders which supports the application of the ADI-R.

Interpretation of the AD-R scores is based on the ADI-R algorithms. These may be used in two ways: the most often applied are diagnostic algorithms which take into account the examinee’s personal history and serve to diagnose. This application of the algorithms was examined and validated, which means that their reliabilities and validities were checked. The second type of algorithms is the actual behaviour algorithms. In this case scores refer the examinee’s behaviour as observed in several months before the interview. This approach may help to assess functioning in various dimensions and gives ground for comparisons which are important from the point of view of therapy planning and evaluation of its efficiency.

In the case of children and adolescents, ADI-R may be the second step in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders after using the ASRS Questionnaire Kit, allowing to collect information on functioning in the last month. When data on the current functioning of a child or adolescent raise concern, it is important to collect data on development, necessary to diagnose autism spectrum disorders; ADI-R allows you to examine the course of development and gives you the opportunity to assess the current functioning taking into account this course.

The present manual also includes results of the research on psychometric features of the Polish version of the ADI-R. Data provided prove the generally high reliability of the Polish version estimated by means of internal consistency analysis, the analysis of assessments by competent judges as well as the analysis of stability in time. The ADI-R protocol has a high sensitivity and specificity. Inter-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences between the group with ASD and the control group on all scales, subscales and items included in the ADI-R which, in turn, proves its high diagnostic validity. The Polish version of the ADI-R has good psychometric qualities and can be applied in individual clinical diagnosis.  

Materials:

• Complete kit (manual, ADI-R protocols 10 cop., algorithm sheets 10 cop.)
• Manual
• ADI-R Protocols (10 copies)
• Algorithm Sheets (10 copies)