Ryan Krebs

Date Approved

2025

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Psychology

Committee Member

Angela D. Staples, PhD

Committee Member

Renée Lajiness-O’Neill, PhD

Committee Member

Jin Bo, PhD

Abstract

Background. The developmental cascade framework suggests early delays in one system can impact others. Infants born preterm or with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show such delays. Methods. The study included 498 infants enrolled in PediaTracTM a novel caregiver-report measure. The convergent validity of PediaTrac with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) was examined, along with its ability to predict ASD risk at 18 months using cross-sectional (9- and 12-month) and longitudinal (0–12-month) latent traits of motor (MOT) and social/communication/cognitive (SCG) abilities. Results. Strong convergent validity was found between PediaTrac and ASQ-3 domains at both time points. MOT at 9-months was the strongest predictor of ASD risk while SCG was strongest at 12-months. Longitudinal trajectories provided greater predictive value than cross-sectional scores. Sociodemographic factors—Area Deprivation Index—also significantly predicted ASD risk. Discussion. Findings support PediaTrac as an effective ASD screening tool and emphasize the importance of longitudinal measures to improve ASD detection.

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