CARS™2

Standard Version Rating Booklet (CARS2-ST)

Equivalent to the original CARS; for use with individuals younger than 6 years of age and those with communication difficulties or below-average estimated IQs

High-Functioning Version Rating Booklet (CARS2-HF)

An alternative for assessing verbally fluent individuals, 6 years of age and older, with IQ scores above 80

Questionnaire for Parents or Caregivers (CARS2-QPC)

An unscored scale that gathers information for use in making CARS2-ST and CARS2-HF ratings

Items on the Standard form duplicate those on the original CARS, while items on the High Functioning form have been modified to reflect current research on the characteristics of people with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

The clinician rates the individual on each item, using a 4-point response scale. Ratings are based not only on frequency of the behavior in question, but also on its intensity, peculiarity, and duration. While this more nuanced approach gives you greater flexibility in integrating diagnostic information, it still yields quantitative results.

The Rating Booklets for both the Standard and High Functioning versions are particularly convenient. They include space for clinical note-taking and documentation. They briefly describe each area rated, providing a reminder of rating criteria and a framework for explaining results to parents. And they list cut-off values so that you can see at a glance whether further evaluation is warranted.

Rating values for all items are summed to produce a Total Raw Score. Each form includes a graph that allows you to quickly convert the Total Raw Score to a standard score or percentile rank (based on a clinical sample of 1,034 individuals with autism spectrum disorders). The Manual provides guidelines for score interpretation, suggestions for intervention, and case examples.