CARS accuracy | Autism PDD
The CARS was used in Jaden's diagnosis. I think it was complete and goes into detail about autistic traits. I did the test myself online before she was diagnosed and she scored two points lower than when the Developmantal Ped did it several months later. Very accurate, imo.
Dd is having this done tomorrow a.m. as our last step before we receivedx report. Here is what I found, it appears to be very accurate:
"Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Behavior Checklist
(ABC) are tests widely used for screening and diagnosis of autism. This
study verified their correspondence and conflict with a diagnosis made
with DSM-IV criteria. The sample consisted of 65 children, aged 18
months to 11 years. We found complete agreement between DSM-IV and
CARS. We show that ABC does not distinguish individuals with autistic
disorders from other cases of developmental disorders as well as CARS:
the number of false negatives is high (46%) with ABC as opposed to 0%
with CARS."
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/jadd/
2004/00000034/00000006/00005290?crawler=true
"Abstract A Japanese translation of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale
(CARS) (the Tokyo version of the CARS, CARS-TV) was used with 167
developmentally disabled children under age 16. Cronbach's coefficient
alpha was 87. The interrater reliability (r) for each of the 15 scales based
on 128 children ranged from .43 to .77 with an average of .62. Based on
the 167 children, the total CARS-TV score demonstrated a satisfactory
level of taxonomic validity (Thorndike, 1982) on DSM-III diagnostic
groups. The total score discriminated infantile autism and other pervasive
developmental disorders more efficiently from mental retardation without
an additional diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder than an IQ.
The total score also showed a satisfactory concurrent validity on the
overall rating of autism.
This study was supported in part by a grant from the Ministry of
Education, Science and Culture of Japan (No. 63480263). The authors
thank Dr. E. Schopler for his permission to use a Japanese translation of
the CARS in this study."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/y7v77k326u108576/ When I mention that one of my sons was tested using the CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) to rule out "severe" autism I keep hearing that it is not very accurate.
My question was if anyone has any references to the rates of false negatives for the CARS test when used on ASD or PDD/NOS patients. I don't think that the CARS has any place in a SD test for autism eligibility (it is, after all, a fast screening test not diagnostic), I am just curious if the statement is correct or not.
The CARS was used in Jaden's diagnosis. I think it was complete and goes into detail about autistic traits. I did the test myself online before she was diagnosed and she scored two points lower than when the Developmantal Ped did it several months later. Very accurate, imo.
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I'd be interested in where you did it on-line. It might be interesting to try it, although I imagine w/o the proper training the results might not be very trustworthy.
Dad, never underestimate how little training you need to interpret your own children. You know them best. You care for them most. You have interest in their future. Most Doctors have never received the proper training in diagnosing or treating autism. You will become very knowledgable before long.
I had a hard time finding it as well. But found it with this description first:
The Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) consists of a list of fifteen questions probing five diagnostic domains relevant to autism spectrum disorders. The five domains include: relating to others, body use, adaptiveness to change, listening response and verbal communication. The test examiner answers these questions after observing the child subjects' behavior, reviewing reports concerning the child's behavior, and interviewing the parents, and then computes a CARS score which is compared to normative data that describe how normal children and children known to have PDD diagnoses score on the test. A child's CARS score thus helps examiners to know whether that child's behavior is most similar to normal children's behavior, mildly autistic children's behavior, or severely autistic children's behavior. CARS does not diagnose autism, but it does help identify who acts like an autistic person. http://www.patientcenters.com/autism/news/diag_tools.html#CA RS
Click on the addy to take the test. Not sure if the results will show up. Jaden scored 46 when I did it (severe autism) and 44 when the Doctor did it. (still severe autism) A score of below 15 is not autistic, but I am not sure where the cutoff scores go. Hopefully you can find it.
I just looked further into that online test and realized it doesn't have all the areas it covers. I am sorry. They must have removed the one I used 18 months ago.
At least you can get some idea of how it is used.
Thanks for the info. What I am interested is in how well it identifies ASD in kids that have a diagnosis by a psychlogist in a clinical setting, in some sort of double-blind test. As far as I can tell, the SD was claiming that the CARS was as good as a 1/2 day evaluation by a nationally known psychologist, and a few folks locally tell me that it is not that good - but don't have any papers to back it up, so I am somewhat curious since I also know that its considered good, but have no papers in that area either.I have seen the paper on the Japanese version, but I am inclined to take that with a grain of salt since the langauge and culture are different. Most of the questions seem to have a values judgement on the part of the examiner. Particularly the last question (english version) which I read as the test is asking the examiner if the child appears autistic.
[See http://www.wierdkids.com/wierd/autism/cars2.htm ]
the full-study done in the U.S.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0902/is_n5_v21/ai_147 65573/pg_1
(sorry, when I try to use the codes for links it doesn't work
)[QUOTE=BonBon]
Catherine, you are right. I am so sorry for giving info while only relying on my memory. I will be more careful next time I post.
Here is what I found:
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/camarticle/page6.html
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That's OK BonBon, thanks for the update.
Thanks!
[QUOTE=danyell782]my son once given this test also and he scored a 27 so his dev. ped said no autism... You have to be at a 30 or higher to be considered on the spectrum.. 27 is close though.. [/QUOTE]
Danielle, yes it's close. They observed dd at her preschool and said her behavior was very much the behavior of an autistic child so I'm still considering her mildly autistic for now.
[QUOTE=abbytherabbit]
[QUOTE=danyell782]my son once given this test also and he scored a 27 so his dev. ped said no autism... You have to be at a 30 or higher to be considered on the spectrum.. 27 is close though.. [/QUOTE]
Danielle, yes it's close. They observed dd at her preschool and said her behavior was very much the behavior of an autistic child so I'm still considering her mildly autistic for now.
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Same here.. my son went to the dev. ped he has autistic traits for alot of things.. but becazuse of the cars score she said he did not have autism.. But had autistic signs and traits.. so i am still confused as to what he has.. i know he is speech delayed and has sensory intregation disorder and axeity problems.. but since the test said a 27 they can not give him the autsim label..
That is very similar to our situation. We did get a 7 on the ADOS by another Dr. and that's puts her on the spectrum. Are you getting services for your son? Bottom-line that's the important thing no matter what the label is. My dd is getting a special ed preschool 10 hrs a week and help with the SI problems.
He started in a disabled class last september with children who have delays like him.. he got speech and pt.. now in the summer he will go to the summer prgram and get speech and pt also.. when sept. comes he will be in a pre-k intergrated class some children have delays some do not and he willget speech pt and some ot so i am happy with that.. i think by the next year that comes he can be out of special ed and put into a regular kindergarden class .. i amnot sure he is progressing so well at school at hme not so much.. he still has so many issues with different things.. [QUOTE=abbytherabbit]This might be a silly question but what does NT stand for? I get the meaning that it stands for functioning normally but would like to know to know exact words.
Thanks!
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NT = Neuro Typical, or "normal", which in and of itself is a relative term
Ahhh. Thanks, would of never got that one.
Here is what I found:
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/camarticle/page6.html
my son once given this test also and he scored a 27 so his dev. ped said no autism... You have to be at a 30 or higher to be considered on the spectrum.. 27 is close though.. [QUOTE=Elle22]Found this today--I think/hope it's more of what you are looking for. It'sthe full-study done in the U.S.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0902/is_n5_v21/ai_147 65573/pg_1
(sorry, when I try to use the codes for links it doesn't work
)[/QUOTE]Sorry, the link does not work. Could you tell me what you were looking for (like author's names etc)?
Here is the title, date, etc. I think if you google some of it you will get this
report. It was through that findarticles.com site. I somehow stumbled upon
it googling "CARS autism score" I think.
The criterion-related validity of the childhood autism rating scale and the
autism behavior checklist
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Oct, 1993 by Ronald C. Eaves, Betty
Milne
I think, after reading the entire paper, that this is what you are looking for.
It is fairly specific, gives % figures, etc. If you for some reason cannot get a
hold of it, PM me & I will email the document to you.
So don't sweat it. Our son sat in the corner rocking turning the shop vac on and off and now one would think he has Asperger's. I would've never predicted it based on early yearly testing.:)Cecelia
[QUOTE=BonBon]Catherine, I believe a CARS score of 27 would be mild autism. Anything under 15 (maybe 16?) is not autistic. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=nick'smom]So don't sweat it. Our son sat in the corner rocking turning the shop vac on and off and now one would think he has Asperger's. I would've never predicted it based on early yearly testing.:)Cecelia
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Cecelia, thanks for the encouraging words. I'm glad your son is much better.
As I read the abstact, this is a comparision of the CARS with the ABC. But does not compare either to a clinical diagnosis. So it is not really what I am looking for. I suspect that it might not exist.
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