Introduction
CAST is a parent-report questionnaire about a child's communication, play, interests and social interaction. Its 39 questions draw on everyday observations such as joining games, starting conversations and responding to other people.
A useful account includes both what the child does and the setting in which it happens. A familiar sibling, a new group and a busy classroom can place different demands on communication. Examples give meaning to a yes-or-no response.
ASSQ also gathers observations of school-age children. Q-CHAT and the Infant–Toddler Checklist concern earlier development. When choosing among these tools, the child's developmental stage and the observer's familiarity with the child matter more than finding the shortest questionnaire.
Instructions
Please read each question carefully and select the most accurate response.
This is not a standard self-report test
Observer report; complete from the child or dependent person's typical behavior across relevant settings
Scoring and result metrics
The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.
- Score range
- 0-31
- Items scored
- 39
- Result indicators
- Total score / Interpretation band when available
Score interpretation bands
- 0-14Few or no autistic traits
Scores in the 0-14 range indicate few or no Autistic traits.
- 15-31Possible ASD range
Scores in the 15-31 range indicate possible ASD or related social-communication difficulties.
Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.
Tool information
- Version
- 39 questions
- Administration
- Observer-rated
- Intended audience
- Parents or primary caregivers describing social communication and behavior in children, commonly ages 4-11
Sources
- JG Williams, C Allison, FJ Scott, PF Bolton, S Baron-Cohen, FE Matthews, C Brayne. The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST): Sex Differences. 38(9): J Autism Dev Disord 1731-9. 2008.
- JG Williams, C Allison, FJ Scott, PF Bolton, S Baron-Cohen, FE Matthews, C Brayne. The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): Test Accuracy. 9(1): Autism 45-68. 2004.
- J Williams, C Allison, F Scott, C Stott, P Bolton, S Baron-Cohen, C Brayne. The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST): Test-retest Reliability. 10(4): Autism 415-27. 2006.
- FJ Scott, S Baron-Cohen, P Bolton, C Brayne. The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): Preliminary Development Of A UK Screen For Mainstream Primary-school-age Children. 6(1): Autism 9-31. 2002.
Related tests
Explore related screening tools in the same topic area.
Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
The 50-item AQ explores patterns in social interaction, communication, attention to detail, imagination and shifting attention.
Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
ASSQ collects observations of a school-age child's social communication, interests and behaviour.
Infant-Toddler Checklist (ITC)
The Infant–Toddler Checklist organises caregiver observations about early communication.