The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST)

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms typically appear before the age of three and persist into adulthood, impacting various aspects of a child's development. Early detection and appropriate training can significantly improve a child's progress and mitigate the impact of symptoms on daily life.

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The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), developed by The Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, is a screening and assessment tool designed to identify autism spectrum tendencies in children aged 4 to 11.

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Please read each question carefully and totally how many of your answers match the "target answers" provided next to them. If your child matches more than 10 questions, they may show tendencies toward the autism spectrum or related social communication difficulties. In such cases, further professional assessment and tailored training services are highly recommended.

Core Symptoms Screening

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• Does s/he join in playing games with otherchildren easily? (No)                                                                                                       

• Does s/he come up to you for a chat spontaneously? (No)                                                                                                                          

• Does s/he like (or want to) hang out with children of the same age? (No)       

• Does s/he notice unusual details that others miss? (Yes)         

• Does s/he tend to take things literally and miss the underlying meaning of what is said? (Yes)    

• Around the age of three, did s/he spend a lot of time playing role-playing or pretend games? (No) 

• Does s/he like to do things the exact same way over and over again? (Yes)

• Does s/he interact with other children easily? (No)                    

• Can s/he sustain a back-and-forth conversation with others? (No)

• Is his/her reading ability appropriate for his/her age? (No)           

• Are most of his/her hobbies and interests the same as those of peers of the same age? (No)

• Does s/he spend so much time focusing on a specific interest that there is no time for other things? (Yes)

• Does s/he have close friends? (No)                                                    

• Does s/he often bring things s/he likes to show you? (No)          

• Does s/he enjoy joking around? (No)                                                 

• Does s/he have difficulty understanding what constitutes "polite behavior"? (Yes)

• Does s/he have an exceptionally clear memory for details? (Yes)

• Is his/her tone of voice unusual?(e.g., too flat, monotonous, or lacking intonation?) (Yes)

• Does s/he notice other people's feelings? (No)                             

• When talking to someone, does s/he manage the timing of turn-taking in conversation? (No)

• Can s/he play imaginative games with other children and fully engage in role-playing? (No)

• Does s/he often say socially inappropriate things or engage in socially inappropriate behavior? (No)

• Is his/her eye contact with people normal? (No)                          

• Does s/he have any unusual repetitive movements? (Yes)           

• Is his/her social behavior always self-centered, rarely considering others? (Yes)

• Does s/he sometimes say "you" or "he/she" when s/he actually means "I"? (Yes)

• Does s/he prefer imaginative activities over numbers or lists of information? (Yes)

• Does s/he sometimes lose people's interest because s/he doesn't explain what s/he is talking about? (Yes)

• Does s/he cause distress or difficulties by insisting that s/he or others must follow specific "rules" or "procedures"? (Yes)

• Does s/he care what other children think of him/her? (No)           

• When conversing with others, does s/he often only talk about topics of interest to him/herself,

         ignoring what others want to say? (Yes)

• Does s/he use idiosyncratic or unusual words or phrases? (No)​​​​