ASK (Autoimmunity Screening for Kids)
Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado
What it is
ASK is a US research program offering free type 1 diabetes and celiac autoantibody screening to children aged 1–17 and adults, with or without family history. Collection options include Colorado appointments, a Labcorp kit route and home sampling. Positive results need confirmation and follow-up.
Editorial review: .
Most recent recorded citation date: 2022-05-25. Only explicit date metadata is included; an undated citation may be newer. This does not mean every claim was reviewed on that date.
Trial status, labels and access can change between reviews. How we review the evidence · How to read the evidence
Evidence behind this assessment
Key evidence notes. Study results, product eligibility and access answer different questions.
- Who was studied?
- Study populations and analysis groups vary. Product age limits alone do not describe who was studied.See the linked studies and their populations →
- Benefit or performance
- Predictive value: The published assay study compared selected validation samples from 828 children. Its abstract and full Results give different progressor denominators and describe the high-risk subgroup differently; those discrepancies remain unresolved. This study does not establish current general-population screening yield.[3]
- Important harms and treatment burden
- Read the safety discussion and original sources. A missing summary does not establish safety.
- Approval and country access
- Country-specific approval and access are not summarized in this record.Approval, trial recruitment, local supply and funding are separate. Check the cited label or access source.
- Follow-up and remaining uncertainty
- Read the full discussion and original sources for follow-up duration and study limitations.
Editorial score: calculation and evidence
A weighted editorial judgment on a 0–100 scale, not a probability of success or a measured treatment effect. Higher criterion scores mean more favorable assessments.
Default calculation: 82 × 25 + 80 × 25 + 80 × 20 + 70 × 15 + 55 × 15 = 7525; divide by total weight 100. Unrounded weighted result: 75.25.
The published assay study compared selected validation samples from 828 children. Its abstract and full Results give different progressor denominators and describe the high-risk subgroup differently; those discrepancies remain unresolved. This study does not establish current general-population screening yield.[3]
The program offers confirmation, education and follow-up after a positive result. Screening does not guarantee a DKA-free diagnosis or eligibility for a specific treatment.[1]
Current eligibility includes US children aged 1–17 and adults with or without family history. Advertised eligibility does not establish nationwide uptake.[2]
Home, clinic and Labcorp collection routes are described. Enrollment, sample collection and follow-up require coordination with the research team.[2]
The operator advertises free screening. Current instructions and follow-up arrangements must be confirmed with the program.[1]
Editor’s take
ASK provides a route to research screening beyond families already affected by T1D. Published assay performance, screening yield and clinical benefit are separate questions. Scores reflect editorial judgment about that pathway, not a measured chance of preventing DKA.
The full picture
Current screening options
ASK is run by the Barbara Davis Center at the University of Colorado. Its current website offers free screening for US children aged 1–17 and adults, with or without a family history of T1D or celiac disease. The program lists ethics approval COMIRB 14-0553; ethics approval and trial registration are separate matters.15
Options include Colorado appointments, a mailed collection kit for a Labcorp draw for people more than 30 miles from listed sites, and an at-home kit. Participants should follow the operator’s enrollment and collection instructions. Positive screens require confirmation and follow-up.21
What the published evidence shows
A 6-Plex electrochemiluminescence assay study analyzed 880 samples from 828 children. It combined four islet-autoantibody targets with transglutaminase and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The abstract reports assay agreement in 35 of 37 children who later developed T1D, whereas the full Results reports 37 of 39. Both report agreement in 105 of 119 high-risk children, but the abstract describes multiple-autoantibody children while the full Results includes children with multiple antibodies or later T1D. These internal discrepancies remain unresolved. The authors reported adoption for ASK primary screening. These selected validation samples cannot establish population prevalence or the program’s current screening yield.3
The original celiac screening report included 9,973 children: 242 initially had tissue-transglutaminase antibodies, 185 returned for confirmation and 149 were positive by radiobinding assay. An antibody-positive result is not itself a confirmed clinical diagnosis of celiac disease.4
What remains uncertain
These reports address assay validation and screening findings. They do not provide a randomized estimate of DKA reduction. Education and monitoring are part of the program, but a positive screen does not guarantee a particular treatment or a DKA-free diagnosis.534 See the ASK study record for the evidence summary.
What's next for this
- →Program participation and collection arrangements · Check the operator’s current instructions; no guaranteed individual access or completion date
Sources
- [1]ASK Research Program: current eligibility · Open-source community — Checked 17 September 2026: free screening for US children aged 1–17 and adults.
ASK official eligibility and positive-result pathway, checked 17 September 2026.
- [2]ASK screening locations and collection options · Open-source community
ASK screening locations and collection instructions.
- [3]High-Throughput Multiplex Electrochemiluminescence Assay Applicable to General Population Screening for Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease · Peer-reviewed study · 2022-05-25
He L, et al. Original 6-Plex assay study, 2022.
- [4]Mass Screening for Celiac Disease: The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids Study · Peer-reviewed study
Stahl MG, et al. Original ASK celiac screening study, 2021.
- [5]ASK Research Program: operator, goals and funding · Open-source community
ASK program operator and goals.