Meaning of CARS score | Autism PDD

Our son has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS for about a year. We took him to a doctor last month and she gave him the Child Autism Rating Scale (CARS) test. Our understanding is that CARS scores range from 15-60, and that a score over 30 is considered "autistic." What is the range for PDD-NOS if there is one?

We know that this is all sort of beside the point, but we're trying to get through the doctor's report we just received!

Thanks and thanks for your support this weekend. It's been a rough one.

Not exactly sure of the answer to your question, although........our son was given that CARS test at age 3, and scored a 29. I remember clearly the doctor saying that 30 was the official "autism cut off" etc. So, at the time, she said it looked more like PDD-NOS for him, since he fell short of the autism range on this assessment. Since then, other assessments have confirmed the dx for my son.

But, as to the range of scores which would be considered PDD-NOS........not sure on that, but I think I know who to ask. If I can find it out, I'll post back.

Our Neuropsych, who worked for Mayo, did not go just by the CARS to diagnose PDD-NOS. He observed him carefully and tested him in every area of functioning. The CARS was only one part of his diagnosis. How his life skills and social skills and academic skills and early development were had the most to do with his dx. of PDD-NOS. And as he gave us the dx., he told us, "There is no way to be 100% sure which part of the spectrum any child is on. It's every evaluators best guess. Your son has traits that best fit PDD-NOS, but mistakes are made all the time, even at Mayo." I think he got it right on the money, but it was not just based on CARS. Any evaluator who just goes by CARS isn't doing a very thorough evaluation. My son saw the Neuropsych for 12 hours, in two hour increments.My son scored a 50 on the CARS but that was the only test the psychologist did and she only observed him for an hour or two at the most. She told us he's severely autistic and sent us on our way and while she was escorting us out of the door she told us that 2/3 of marriages fail because of an autism diagnosis. This was 2 and a half years ago. I'm wondering if we should have him tested again, by someone else, of course. My son also scored a 29 on the cars when he was 2. We were also told that 30 is the cut off for a Autism dx. I have a pdf of the test, if anybody wants it, feel free to contact me Aspacio, THAT IS HORRIBLE! Your son is severely autistc, and instead of
offering you a roadmap of anysort she tells you your marriagge is going to
fall apart?! I am constantly astounded at human behavior. I am sooo sorry
this happened to you. Please see someone else: hopefully someone who will
use the CARS as it was intended--to help a clinician diagnose ASD's together
with other assesment tools and observation.Is this a test I can find on line or do you have to buy it?

a doctor administers it and preferable an asd specialist with looooots of experience.

my dd always does worse on the cars than the ados

[QUOTE=MamaKat]Aspacio, THAT IS HORRIBLE! Your son is severely autistc, and instead of
offering you a roadmap of anysort she tells you your marriagge is going to
fall apart?! I am constantly astounded at human behavior. I am sooo sorry
this happened to you. Please see someone else: hopefully someone who will
use the CARS as it was intended--to help a clinician diagnose ASD's together
with other assesment tools and observation.[/QUOTE]

Thanks MamaKat.

Gabriel is 5 now and it is very obvious that he is not 'severely autistic' (whatever that means). He's in a self-contained autistic class that he seems to love, he's very verbal, very social, (almost inappropriately...getting in people's faces at stores and saying very loudly and jovially, "Hi! How are you?") very self-reliant, (dresses himself, sometimes puts himself to bed, potty-trained, cleans up all his messes etc.) extremely helpful, (buckles his 2 year-old sister into her carseat, pushes her chair in for her at the dinner-table the same way a gentleman does, helps me 'Swiffer' the house) and very affectionate, handing out random kisses and hugs at will. He has no eye-contact issues anymore and he never had gut or sleep issues.

It may seem negligent of me, but we never pursued any therapies aside from the speech and occupational therapy that the school provides. Honestly, the best thing that ever happened to him was his sister and he's now the proud, patient brother of a 6 month-old as well.

I really would like to get him reevaluated. I don't really have a reason why, though. I'm not in denial about his initial diagnosis because he is very much autistic despite the NT-sounding examples I gave.

So, what would be a justification I could give myself for wanting another reevaluation?

apasclo

I love to get all the info I can about dd and pour over it again and again. She will probably have 1000 evals by the time she is 18.

I just love to know about her. She is such a mystery to me at times and I have to admit I count every percentile. I am not in denial about her, but at times I am-I think it is just a curse for me as a parent to not see her as others do, but maybe a blessing too. She is just the light of my life (but sometimes she makes me so crazy I want die)

I had a horrible woman (dr) give Mason the CARS, similar to your experience Apasclo. I ended up getting other opinions and Masons dx came from Cars, Vineland and observation.

I also think it is omportant to have several tests be a part of the dx so that the dx is more accurate as some services will depend on these scores.
I have been grateful also to have so many tests done as I find that different schools, therapist, etc like to look at the different ones and I already have them all done, no waiting to schedule the tests etc.

Using only one test for such varied children and behaviors strikes me as an incomplete look at who are kids are and what their needs are. There is no one treatment or answer, how can there only be one test?

CARS is considered outdated among my colleagues. There are many better rating scales to use these days, and better yet an ADOS, and better yet a COMBINATION, including interviews, informal rating scales and many observations.

You have to buy CARS and I am willing to bet it costs a minimum of 200 dollars like every darn thing in education. Look it up online, it is probably published right here in MN (20 min from me) in Circle Pines, like most of the other assessment tests out there.

Uh oh- started ranting, sorry.

I completely support the idea of seeking as many second opinions as needed until you encounter a specialist who has knowledge that clicks with your child. For my son, that took 5 years of me hounding the pediatrician, and then a pediatric neurologist and a cool kindergarten teacher to support my concerns. Keep asking until you have the answers, the real answers.