Comparison of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Childhood Autism Rating Scale in the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study

Objectives We examined the agreement between the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Methods The ADOS and CARS scores of 78 children were retrospectively collected from a chart review. A correlation analysis was performed to examine the concurrent validity between the two measures. Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we determined the optimal cut-off score of the CARS for identifying autism spectrum disorder. Results The CARS score was significantly correlated with the ADOS score (r=0.808, p<0.001). Taking ADOS as the ideal standard, the optimal cut-off scores of CARS for identifying autism and autism spectrum were 30 and 24.5, respectively. Conclusion We determined the optimal cut-off scores of CARS for screening and diagnosing autism spectrum disorder.