Description
The CASD offers a quick, valid means of screening for, and diagnosing, children with Autism, regardless of age, IQ or Autism severity. It consists of a comprehensive list of 30 symptoms of Autism, scored as present (either currently, or in the past) or absent, based on a semi-structured interview with the parent; information from the child’s teacher or child care provider; observations of the child, and other available records.
Studies show the CASD differentiates children with Autism from those with ADHD with 99.5 per cent accuracy, and from typical children with 100 per cent accuracy. It is equally effective in identifying children who have autism and normal, or below normal, intelligence.
The CASD covers all core and associated symptoms of Autism.
The 30 CASD symptoms are grouped into six domains:
1. Problems with social interaction.
2. Perseveration.
3. Somatosensory disturbance.
4. Atypical communication and development.
5. Mood and disturbance.
6. Problems with attention and safety.
CASD Advantages: –
1. Appropriate for all levels of intelligence.
2. Appropriate for toddlers through adolescence.
3. Simple and brief.
4. Provides information for diagnostic reports and treatment plans.
5. Clinically practical and cost-effective.
6. Useful for screening and diagnosis.
7. No extensive training required.
8. No test materials, software or scoring templates.
9. Excellent Reliability and Validity.
Excellent congruence with DSM-IV-based clinical diagnoses
90% clinician/parent agreement
High diagnostic agreement with other Autism instruments, including 98 per cent with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-page 46), and 93 per cent with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R-page 49).
The standardization sample included more than 1,000 children with Autism (1-17 years of age, IQs of 9-146), over 500 typical children, and children with other diagnostic groups (e.g., ADHD). All children in the Autism group had a total CASD score at, or above, the Autism cutoff of 15, which is the cutoff for both high- and low-functioning Autism. Scores of 10-14 are in the Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) range.
