What’s the Childhood Autism Rating Scale?

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The Childhood Autism Rating Scale is a scale that is used to assess the presence and severity of autism in children aged two and older. This assessment is done by assessing 15 different aspects of the child’s behavior. The test takes approximately 30 minutes to administer and should be performed by a trained professional.
Autism can be very difficult to diagnose because it exists in varying degrees of severity. It is sometimes misdiagnosed because autistic behavior is similar to the behavior of many other developmental disorders. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale was established to determine whether a child has autism versus another type of disability. This test can also indicate the potential severity of a child’s individual case.

Testing a child for autism using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale involves answering a series of questions designed to compare the child’s behavior to what is considered normal behavior for a child his or her age. Each of the 15 behavior and skills questions is rated on a seven-point scale ranging from one for normal behavior to four for highly abnormal behavior and includes half points. The numbers are then added up and the sum is used to determine the existence and severity of autism. Scores can range from 15 to 60 with anything above 30 considered part of the autism spectrum.

Areas of behavior assessed by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale include interpersonal relationships, emotional responses, ability to adapt to change, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and sensory perception. Some of the skills assessed by this scale are object use, intellectual responses, and listening responses. The person taking the test will also give an assessment based on their overall impression of the child and the input from the parents.

This test should be performed by a qualified professional. Pediatricians, school psychologists, speech pathologists, and special education teachers may be trained to use this scale. It’s easy to find the questions used for the Childhood Autism Rating Scale in books or online, but parents shouldn’t attempt to rate their child. Parental reports on the child’s behavior are considered part of the assessment but only an expert can administer and interpret the questions that make up the scale.

Any score above 30 on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale is an indication of autism. Scores in the 30s indicate mild autism, and scores in the higher 50s signal more severe cases. While a score between 20 and 30 is not considered autistic, it can indicate other types of developmental delays. Children diagnosed with autism on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale should see a behavioral psychologist and a speech and language therapist for further evaluation and treatment.

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