Loading…

Protocol - Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Child

Add to My Toolkit
Description

The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), also known as the Social and Communication Development Questionnaire, is a 37-question, parent-report instrument. It is based on a variety of behavioral descriptions of the core features of the autism spectrum (social impairments, communication impairments, and repetitive or stereotyped behaviors) from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10), and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV).

Specific Instructions

None

Availability

Available

Protocol

Please read the following questions carefully, and indicate the appropriate answer.

1. Does s/he join in playing games with other children easily?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

2. Does s/he come up to you spontaneously for a chat?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

3. Was s/he speaking by 2 years old?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

4. Does s/he enjoy sports?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

5. Is it important to him/her to fit in with the peer group?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

6. Does s/he appear to notice unusual details that others miss?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

7. Does s/he tend to take things literally?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

8. When s/he was 3 years old, did s/he spend a lot of time pretending (e.g., play-acting being a superhero, or holding teddy’s tea parties)?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

9. Does s/he like to do things over and over again, in the same way all the time?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

10. Does s/he find it easy to interact with other children?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

11. Can s/he keep a two-way conversation going?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

12. Can s/he read appropriately for his/her age?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

13. Does s/he mostly have the same interests as his/her peers?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

14. Does s/he have an interest which takes up so much time that s/he does little else?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

15. Does s/he have friends, rather than just acquaintances?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

16. Does s/he often bring you things s/he is interested in to show you?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

17. Does s/he enjoy joking around?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

18. Does s/he have difficulty understanding the rules for polite behavior?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

19. Does s/he appear to have an unusual memory for details?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

20. Is his/her voice unusual (e.g., overly adult, flat, or very monotonous)?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

21. Are people important to him/her?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

22. Can s/he dress him/herself?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

23. Is s/he good at turn-taking in conversation?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

24. Does s/he play imaginatively with other children, and engage in role-play?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

25. Does s/he often do or say things that are tactless or socially inappropriate?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

26. Can s/he count to 50 without leaving out any numbers?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

27. Does s/he make normal eye-contact?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

28. Does s/he have any unusual and repetitive movements?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

29. Is his/her social behavior very one-sided and always on his/her own terms?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

30. Does s/he sometimes say "you" or "s/he" when s/he means "I"?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

31. Does s/he prefer imaginative activities such as play-acting or story-telling, rather than numbers or lists of facts?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

32. Does s/he sometimes lose the listener because of not explaining what s/he is talking about?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

33. Can s/he ride a bicycle (even if with stabilizers)?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

34. Does s/he try to impose routines on himself/herself, or on others, in such a way that it causes problems?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

35. Does s/he care how s/he is perceived by the rest of the group?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

36. Does s/he often turn conversations to his/her favorite subject rather than following what the other person wants to talk about?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

37. Does s/he have odd or unusual phrases?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

SPECIAL NEEDS SECTION

Please complete as appropriate

38. Have teachers/health visitors ever expressed any concerns about his/her development?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

If Yes, please specify..................................................................................................

39. Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the following?

Language delay

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Hyperactivity/Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Hearing or visual difficulties

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Autism Spectrum Condition, including Asperger’s Syndrome

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

A physical disability

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

Other (please specify)…………………………………………..

Scoring Instructions

Score "1" if the respondent answers "No" to questions 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 27, 31, and 35. Score "1" if the respondent answers "Yes" to questions 6, 7, 9, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, and 37. Sum all "1’s" to get a total score. Maximum score possible is 31, cut-off currently is 15 for possible ASD or related social-communication difficulties. Questions that are not scored are controls.

Personnel and Training Required

None

Equipment Needs

None

Requirements
Requirement CategoryRequired
Major equipment No
Specialized training No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection No
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual No
Mode of Administration

Self- or proxy-administered questionnaire

Lifestage

Child

Participants

Parent report for a child 3-11 years old.

Selection Rationale

The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST) was selected because it is a relatively low-burden, parent-reported protocol that covers the various domains of the spectrum and has been used in a large twin study in the United Kingdom.

Language

Chinese, English, Spanish, Other languages available at source

Standards
StandardNameIDSource
Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Autism disorders child proto 62740-6 LOINC
Human Phenotype Ontology Autistic behavior HP:0000729 HPO
caDSR Form PhenX PX120903 - Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorders Child 5974482 caDSR Form
Derived Variables

None

Process and Review

Expert Review Panel 4 (ERP 4) reviewed the measures in the Neurology, Psychiatric, and Psychosocial domains.

Guidance from ERP 4 included the following:

  • Revised description of measure

Protocol Name from Source

The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST)

Source

Scott, F., Baron-Cohen, S., Bolton, P., & Brayne, C. (2002). The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): Preliminary development of UK screen for mainstream primary-school children. Autism, 6(1), 9-31.

General References

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC), Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2006 Principal Investigators. (2009). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders-Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, United States, 2006. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries, 58(10), 1-20.

O’Nions, E., Tick, B., Rijsdijk, F., Happé, F., Plomin, R., Ronald, A., & Viding, E. (2015). Examining the genetic and environmental associations between autistic social and communication deficits and psychopathic callous-unemotional traits. PLoS ONE, 10(9), e0134331.

Scott, F., Baron-Cohen, S., Bolton, P., & Brayne, C. (2002). The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): Preliminary development of UK screen for mainstream primary-school children. Autism, 6(1), 9-31.

Taylor, M. J., Robinson, E. B., Happé, F., Bolton, P., Freeman, D., & Ronald, A. (2015). A longitudinal twin study of the association between childhood autistic traits and psychotic experiences in adolescence. Molecular Autism, 6, 44.

Williams, J., Scott, F., Stott, C., Allison, C., Bolton, P., Baron-Cohen, S. & Brayne, C. (2005). The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): Test accuracy. Autism, 9(1), 45-68.

Protocol ID

120903

Variables
Export Variables
Variable Name Variable IDVariable DescriptiondbGaP Mapping
PX120903_Care_How_Perceived
PX120903350000 Does s/he care how s/he is perceived by the more
rest of the group? show less
N/A
PX120903_Chat_Spontaneously
PX120903020000 Does s/he come up to you spontaneously for a chat? N/A
PX120903_Conversation_Turn_Taking
PX120903230000 Is s/he good at turn-taking in conversation? N/A
PX120903_Count_To_Fifty
PX120903260000 Can s/he count to 50 without leaving out any more
numbers? show less
N/A
PX120903_Diagnosed_ADHD
PX120903390200 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: Hyperactivity/Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Diagnosed_Autism_Spectrum
PX120903390400 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: Autism Spectrum Condition, including Asperger's Syndrome show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Diagnosed_Language_Delay
PX120903390100 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: Language delay show less
N/A
PX120903_Diagnosed_Other
PX120903390600 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: Other (please specify) show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Diagnosed_Physical_Disability
PX120903390500 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: A physical disability show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Diagnosed_Visual_Hearing_Difficulties
PX120903390300 Has s/he ever been diagnosed with any of the more
following?: Hearing or visual difficulties show less
N/A
PX120903_Difficulty_With_Polite_Behavior
PX120903180000 Does s/he have difficulty understanding the more
rules for polite behavior? show less
N/A
PX120903_Does_Not_Explain_Topic
PX120903320000 Does s/he sometimes lose the listener more
because of not explaining what s/he is talking about? show less
N/A
PX120903_Dominating_Interest
PX120903140000 Does s/he have an interest which takes up so more
much time that s/he does little else? show less
N/A
PX120903_Easy_Interact_Other_Children
PX120903100000 Does s/he find it easy to interact with more
other children? show less
N/A
PX120903_Engage_In_Role_Play
PX120903240000 Does s/he play imaginatively with other more
children, and engage in role-play? show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Enjoy_Joking_Around
PX120903170000 Does s/he enjoy joking around? N/A
PX120903_Enjoy_Repetition
PX120903090000 Does s/he like to do things over and over more
again, in the same way all the time? show less
Variable Mapping
PX120903_Enjoy_Sports
PX120903040000 Does s/he enjoy sports? N/A
PX120903_Friends_Or_Acquaintances
PX120903150000 Does s/he have friends, rather than just more
acquaintances? show less
N/A
PX120903_Get_Dressed
PX120903220000 Can s/he dress him/herself? Variable Mapping
PX120903_Imagination_Or_Facts
PX120903310000 Does s/he prefer imaginative activities such more
as play-acting or story-telling, rather than numbers or lists of facts? show less
N/A
PX120903_Important_To_Fit_In
PX120903050000 Is it important to him/her to fit in with more
the peer group? show less
N/A
PX120903_Join_Games
PX120903010000 Does s/he join in playing games with other more
children easily? show less
N/A
PX120903_Keep_Conversation_Going
PX120903110000 Can s/he keep a two-way conversation going? N/A
PX120903_Make_Eye_Contact
PX120903270000 Does s/he make normal eye-contact? Variable Mapping
PX120903_Notice_Details
PX120903060000 Does s/he appear to notice unusual details more
that others miss? show less
N/A
PX120903_One_Sided_Social_Behavior
PX120903290000 Is his/her social behavior very one-sided more
and always on his/her own terms? show less
N/A
PX120903_People_Are_Important
PX120903210000 Are people important to him/her? N/A
PX120903_Pretending_At_Age_Three
PX120903080000 When s/he was 3 years old, did s/he spend a more
lot of time pretending (e.g., play-acting being a superhero, or holding teddy's tea parties)? show less
N/A
PX120903_Reads_At_Age_Level
PX120903120000 Can s/he read appropriately for his/her age? N/A
PX120903_Redirects_Conversation
PX120903360000 Does s/he often turn conversations to more
his/her favorite subject rather than following what the other person wants to talk about? show less
N/A
PX120903_Repetitive_Movements
PX120903280000 Does s/he have any unusual and repetitive more
movements? show less
N/A
PX120903_Ride_Bicycle
PX120903330000 Can s/he ride a bicycle (even if with more
stabilizers)? show less
N/A
PX120903_Same_Interests_As_Peers
PX120903130000 Does s/he mostly have the same interests as more
his/her peers? show less
N/A
PX120903_Self_Imposed_Routines
PX120903340000 Does s/he try to impose routines on more
himself/herself, or on others, in such a way that it causes problems? show less
N/A
PX120903_Share_Things
PX120903160000 Does s/he often bring you things s/he is more
interested in to show you? show less
N/A
PX120903_Socially_Inappropriate_Behavior
PX120903250000 Does s/he often do or say things that are more
tactless or socially inappropriate? show less
N/A
PX120903_Speaking_By_Two
PX120903030000 Was s/he speaking by 2 years old? N/A
PX120903_Take_Things_Literally
PX120903070000 Does s/he tend to take things literally? N/A
PX120903_Teacher_Concerns
PX120903380000 Have teachers/health visitors ever expressed more
any concerns about his/her development? show less
N/A
PX120903_Teacher_Concerns_Specify
PX120903380100 Have teachers/health visitors ever expressed more
any concerns about his/her development? If yes, please specify show less
N/A
PX120903_Unusual_Memory_For_Details
PX120903190000 Does s/he appear to have an unusual memory more
for details? show less
N/A
PX120903_Unusual_Phrases
PX120903370000 Does s/he have odd or unusual phrases? N/A
PX120903_Unusual_Voice
PX120903200000 Is his/her voice unusual (e.g., overly more
adult, flat, or very monotonous)? show less
N/A
PX120903_You_Or_I
PX120903300000 Does s/he sometimes say you or s/he when more
s/he means I? show less
N/A
Psychiatric
Measure Name

Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Release Date

May 12, 2010

Definition

A questionnaire to assess autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a group of developmental problems that includes autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Rett syndrome, and the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified. ASD is characterized by a lack of social interaction, difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (APA, 2000).

Purpose

This measure is used to screen an individual for the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that between 1 in 80 and 1 in 240 children, with an average of 1 in 110 children, in the United States have an ASD (CDC, 2009). Autism displays a familial pattern because first-order relatives of those with ASD are at greater risk for autism and other developmental problems than the general population (APA, 2000).

Keywords

Psychiatric, Asperger’s syndrome, social impairment, repetitive behavior, Rett syndrome, communication disability

Measure Protocols
Protocol ID Protocol Name
120901 Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Adult
120902 Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Adolescent
120903 Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Child
Publications

There are no publications listed for this protocol.