The CBCL and the identification of children with autism and related conditions in Brazil: Pilot findings

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/4-18 is one of the few standardized means available for assessing child mental health in Brazil. In this context, the identification of a specific pathology such as autism by the CBCL/4-18 is relevant. To examine the validity of the CBCL/4-18 for the identification of autism, the CBCL/4-18 was applied to 101 children: 36 with autism and related conditions, 31 with other psychiatric disorders, and 34 schoolchildren. Children ranged in age from 4 to 11 years. A CBCL factor called Autistic/Bizarre and the narrow-band Thought Problems scale differentiated autistic conditions from other psychiatric disorders and schoolchildren. Conclusion: The CBCL/4-16 can identify autistic children in clinical and school settings in Brazil.