CARS stands for Childhood Autism Rating Scale or Childhood Autism Rating Scale. It is a scale with 15 items that help the diagnosis and identification of children with autism, besides helping to distinguish between autism and other developmental delays. Able to differentiate the degree of impairment of autism between mild, moderate, and severe (Magyar & Pandolfi, 2007; Schopler, Reichler & Renner, 1988). Quick and suitable for any child over 2 years of age. Developed over 15 years, based on 1500 children with autism. The scale incorporates diagnostic criteria based on the work of Kanner (1943), Creak (1961), Rutter (1978) and Rivto & Freeman (1978) and, since 1980, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-III) (Schopler, Reichler & Renner, 1988).
The scale assesses behavior in 14 domains normally affected in autism, plus a single category for describing general impressions (Stella, Mundy & Tuchman, 1999; Rellini et al., 2004). The assessment requirements are: (1) interaction with people, (2) imitation, (3) emotional response, (4) use of the body, (5) use of objects, (6) adaptation to change, (7) reaction to visual stimuli, (8) reaction to auditory stimuli, (9) response to the use of taste, smell and touch, (10) fear or nervousness, (11) verbal communication, (12) non-verbal communication, (13) level of activity, (14) the level and coherence of the intellectual response and, finally, (15) general impressions. The score assigned to each domain ranges from 1 (within normal limits) to 4 (severe autistic symptoms). The total score ranges from 15-60 and the cut-off point for autism is 30 (Schopler, Reichler & Renner, 1988).
This application was based on several translations of the scale above, adapted to the Brazilian reality.
The scale assesses behavior in 14 domains normally affected in autism, plus a single category for describing general impressions (Stella, Mundy & Tuchman, 1999; Rellini et al., 2004). The assessment requirements are: (1) interaction with people, (2) imitation, (3) emotional response, (4) use of the body, (5) use of objects, (6) adaptation to change, (7) reaction to visual stimuli, (8) reaction to auditory stimuli, (9) response to the use of taste, smell and touch, (10) fear or nervousness, (11) verbal communication, (12) non-verbal communication, (13) level of activity, (14) the level and coherence of the intellectual response and, finally, (15) general impressions. The score assigned to each domain ranges from 1 (within normal limits) to 4 (severe autistic symptoms). The total score ranges from 15-60 and the cut-off point for autism is 30 (Schopler, Reichler & Renner, 1988).
This application was based on several translations of the scale above, adapted to the Brazilian reality.
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