Autism screening
The CAST, explained
The CAST is the screen for children whose toddler years are behind them. It asks about the way your child talks with and relates to other people, and it gives you a feel for whether a closer look is worth your time. Here is what it actually does.
What the CAST is
CAST stands for the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test, and it comes out of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge. It is a list of thirty-nine yes or no questions about your child, and like the toddler screen it is written for you to answer, because the everyday details it asks about are the ones a parent sees and a short clinic visit can miss.
It was made for school-age children, roughly four to eleven, who are in a mainstream classroom and have not been diagnosed yet. By this age the questions move past the toddler milestones and into the more grown-up business of friendships, conversation, and fitting in with other children. It takes only a few minutes, and it is free.
What it looks at
The questions ask about the texture of your child's social life. Some are about friendships, whether your child makes them easily and whether playing with other children comes naturally or feels like hard work. Others are about conversation, whether your child takes turns talking, picks up on a joke, or reads the room when someone is bored or upset. A few ask about deep, narrow interests, about a strong pull toward routine, and about the small habits that can set a child apart from their classmates. Taken together they sketch a picture of how your child moves through a world built around other people.
What your result means
The CAST produces a single score. A lower score suggests there is little reason for concern right now. A score above the test's threshold suggests that the social patterns it picked up are worth a fuller look, and the sensible next step is a proper evaluation rather than more waiting. Either way the number is a prompt to keep looking or to relax, not an answer in itself, and we go through whatever it shows with you before anything else happens.
A screen is a first look, never a diagnosis.
A result that raises a flag does not mean your child is autistic, and a quiet result is not a promise that everything is typical. The CAST is a screening tool, which means it is built to point toward the children who might benefit from a full assessment, not to make the call itself. A flagged result often turns out to be nothing once a clinician takes a closer look. What it gives you is a sense of whether the next conversation is worth having. When you are ready for that conversation, we are here for it.
Take the CAST
Tell us about your child and we will send it over.
Share a few details and we will send you the CAST, then follow up to go through your answers and talk about what they mean. If you would rather start with a voice, call us and we will walk you through it on the phone.