title: Using the childhood autism rating scale to diagnose autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: This study investigated the childhood autism rating scale (CARS) as a tool for ASD diagnoses for 2-year-old (n = 376) and 4-year-old (n = 230) children referred for possible autism. The cut-off score to distinguish autistic disorder from PDD-NOS was 32 in the 2-year-old sample (consistent with Lord in J Child Psychol Psychiatry Allied Discipl, 36, 1365-1382, 1995), and 30 in the 4-year-old sample, with good sensitivity and specificity at both ages. The cut-off score to distinguish ASD from non-ASD at both ages was 25.5, with good sensitivity and specificity. Results confirm the utility of the CARS in distinguishing autistic disorder from PDD-NOS, and distinguishing ASD from other developmental disorders and typical development and suggest that an ASD cutoff around 25, which is in common clinical use, is valid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA. colby.chlebowski@uconn.edu
authors.forename: Colby
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chlebowski
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Marianne L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fein
mesh_terms: D057189:Checklist; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity