Reliability, validity analysis of the childhood autism rating scale

TLDR: The reliability and validity of CARS, ABC and ATEC is so good that they are useful for clinical diagnosis of autism.

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the reliability, validity of the child autism rating scale (CARS), autism behavior checklist (ABC) and autism treatment evaluation checklist (ATEC). Methods: 43 outpatients (43 with autism, 31 with non-autism) were examined with CARS, ABC and ATEC, 31 non-autism were examined with CARS. Results: Cronbach′s α coefficients of CARS is 0.735; 15 items of CARS showed significance for differential diagnosis of autism (P 0.01); the correlation between the total score of CARS and its own 15 items ranged from 0.569 to 0.935; the coefficient between 15 itens ranged from 0.278 to 0.808, the correlation between the total score of CARS and ABC is 0.502, the correlation between total score of CARS and ABC 5 factors are 0.449, 0.420, 0.178, 0.328, 0.360, the correlation between the total score of CARS and ATEC were 0.572, the correlation between ATEC 4 subscales are 0.514, 0.412, 0.517, 0.245 respectively. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of CARS, ABC and ATEC is so good that they are useful for clinical diagnosis of autism.