Related Experiment Videos
The CAST (Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test): test accuracy
Jo Williams1, Fiona Scott, Carol Stott
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, UK. jo.williams@phpc.cam.ac.uk
Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice
|December 25, 2004
Summary
The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) effectively screens for autism spectrum conditions in research settings. However, more evidence is needed before recommending CAST for widespread public health screening programs.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Psychiatry
- Epidemiological Research
Background:
- Autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) require reliable screening tools for early identification.
- Parental questionnaires offer a feasible method for large-scale ASC screening.
- The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a parental questionnaire designed for ASC screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) as a screening tool for autism spectrum conditions.
- To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the CAST in a general population sample.
- To explore the impact of case definition and missing data on CAST accuracy.
Main Methods:
- A validation study involving 1925 children aged 5-11 in mainstream schools.
- Distribution of the CAST parental questionnaire.
- Independent diagnostic assessment for a subset of participants, blinded to screening results.
- Analysis of CAST accuracy using consensus diagnosis as the gold standard.
Main Results:
- The CAST demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (97%) at a cut-point of 15.
- The positive predictive value was 50%.
- Accuracy indices varied based on the case definition used, and sensitivity to missing data was explored.
Conclusions:
- The CAST is a valuable tool for screening autism spectrum conditions in epidemiological research.
- Current evidence is insufficient to recommend the CAST for public health screening programs in the general population.
- Further research is needed to establish the CAST's utility in broader clinical and public health contexts.