Autism Spectrum Disorder Questionnaire, CASD Test - the question form

Seeks to be alone; appears detached; avoids contact with others; prefers to play alone rather than with peers.

Plays alongside peers but does not engage in shared play.

Has difficulty forming friendships.

Limited social smiling and eye contact (looks away, "through" people, or only at the speaker’s mouth; makes eye contact only after being prompted, or not at all).

Limited ability to show and share (e.g., does not show toys to adults, does not seek praise, or does not share experiences or achievements with others).

Lack of flexibility in play with peers (insists on repetitive, rule-bound play related to unusual interests).

Enjoys games and activities that involve physical contact with others (e.g., tickling, chasing), but has difficulty with social interaction (e.g., does not play social games that require taking turns).

Is egocentric or absorbed in an inner world (e.g., engages in self-stimulatory activity, talks to self, excessively fantasizes about cartoons, movies, etc.).

Forgets that others are present; does not respond when others try to make contact.

Inappropriately talks to strangers or tries to hug them.

Violates personal space boundaries (stands too close, touches people).

In early childhood, showed no anxiety around unfamiliar people or did not become upset when taken away from parents.

Is socially inappropriate or tactless in behavior and communication (e.g., picks their nose, asks personal questions).

Starts and maintains interaction with peers awkwardly, while communicating fairly well with adults.

Limited social competence (has difficulty understanding social cues and hints, facial expressions, and gestures).

Wants friendships but does not know how to make friends.

Preoccupation with or excessive fixation on specific cartoons or TV series (watching the same movie over and over), computer games, letters, shapes, numbers, objects, or topics (e.g., trains, dinosaurs, race cars, maps, airplanes, animated characters).

Excessive attachment to a particular object or purposeless collecting/hoarding of items (e.g., small figurines, strings, or other objects).

Repetitive play (e.g., carefully lines up or sorts objects, spins them, throws them, repeatedly opens and closes lids, plays with the same toys without variation, draws the same pictures, other).

Little or no interest in toys, or lack of varied imaginative play.

Excessive fixation on parts of objects (e.g., prolonged spinning of wheels on toy cars).

Becomes upset by changes (e.g., changes in daily routine, routes or transportation; toys or furniture being moved; seasonal changes in clothing; etc.).

Difficulty shifting from one activity to another.

Compulsive need to finish what was started.

Unusual ritualized behavior patterns (e.g., drinks only from a certain cup, wears only certain clothes, insists that food on the plate be arranged in a specific way, etc.).

Insists that things be in specific places or in a specific condition (e.g., doors must be closed, coat fastened, etc.).

Insists on doing tasks in the same way each time.

Overly pedantic and unable to compromise; becomes upset when someone breaks the “rules”; thinking is literal and inflexible.

Stereotypies: unusual repetitive movements, such as hand flapping when excited, toe walking, body rocking, head nodding, muscle tensing, grinding or clicking teeth while awake, finger movements, grimacing, running back and forth, spinning in place, pacing, playing with saliva, pinching one’s own skin.

Excessive, unusual craving for spinning, rocking, tickling, turning, swaying, or jumping

Does not respond promptly to spoken communication (e.g., does not respond when called by name; past or current concerns about hearing).

Overly sensitive to certain sounds (e.g., a negative reaction to, or covering the ears for, loud sounds such as an engine, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, a baby crying, sirens, applause, an alarm clock, a toilet flushing, singing).

Overly sensitive to smells, light, and changes in temperature.

Stress caused by bustle or large crowds (discomfort or anxiety in large groups, in theaters, cafes, or at celebrations).

Yes

Excessive smelling; putting into the mouth; sucking; licking; or rubbing nonliving objects or surfaces.

Repeatedly looking at certain objects or moving fingers directly in front of the eyes.

Pressing the ear to vibrating or humming objects; unusually pressing objects against the face.

being touched and hugged,

touching certain objects,

dirty or sticky hands,

water on the body or clothing,

face washing, toothbrushing, hair brushing, and nail trimming,

walking barefoot,

tight clothing, rough seams, or clothing made from certain fabrics.

Low sensitivity to pain (e.g., does not cry when hurt and does not respond to painful stimuli).

Sleep problems (e.g., difficulty falling asleep, sleepwalking, early waking).

Extreme picky eating, a very limited range of preferred foods, or insistence on eating the same foods.

Increased sensitivity to the texture of food (e.g., dislike of lumps in pureed soup).

Unusually long holding of food in the mouth.

Eating non-food items.

Other unusual eating-related behaviors (e.g., eating only one brand of foods, foods of a certain color or shape, or similar).

Regression or slowed language development at age 1–2 years (e.g., using a few words at 1 year and later losing language skills, or typical early language development followed by a later delay in speech and language).

In preschool years, visual–mechanical skills (e.g., assembling puzzles, construction sets, and brainteasers; using electronic devices) were more advanced than language skills, or the child began walking much earlier than talking.

No speech, or very limited use of speech for communication; expresses thoughts and wants through gestures (e.g., takes an adult by the hand and leads them to a desired object, brings a cup when wanting a drink).

Uses speech to communicate with others only when under stress or when something is needed.

Has difficulty with back-and-forth conversation (initiating and maintaining a conversation, listening to others, and responding appropriately); speaks without regard to the listener’s reaction, or talks mainly about topics of personal interest.

Unusual voice quality or odd intonation (e.g., very high pitch, overly sing-song, or monotone).

Screeching or other unusual sounds (e.g., growling, humming).

Unusual, frequently repeated sounds or syllables.

Speaks in their own made-up language.

Echolalia (inappropriate repetition of other people’s words; e.g., repeating a question instead of answering it).

Idiosyncratic one-time use of words or phrases (uses a word or expression once and never uses it again).

Repetitive quoting of words or phrases from movies, cartoons, or commercials.

Overuse of memorized phrases, out of context or inappropriately.

Pronoun reversal (e.g., says “he” instead of “I”).

Repetitive asking of the same questions or making the same statements.

Unusual ideas or statements (e.g., inventing words, nonsensical speech, very idiosyncratic viewpoints, or unusual perception of the world).

An unusual ability for rote memorization (e.g., at a very early age knows numbers, letters, shapes, colors, various logos and signs; hums melodies; remembers routes; can count; knows the alphabet by heart; reads; etc.).

An exceptional vocabulary and an ability to remember in detail what happens in films and books, as well as various other kinds of information.

Imitating characters from films or cartoons.

Highly developed visual–mechanical skills (e.g., does puzzles, uses a computer, uses a DVD player, understands how various mechanisms work, builds complex LEGO constructions).

Outstanding artistic or musical talent.

Well-developed gross motor skills with delays in other areas (no problems with writing and coordination).

Increased activity; irritability; low tolerance for frustration; overarousal; tantrums/meltdowns; emotional outbursts; aggression or self-injurious behavior (becoming extremely upset by unpleasant events that most children can tolerate fairly easily, such as interruption of play, intrusion into personal space, others being too physically close, commands and demands, written work, or disruptions to routines the child insists on).

Mood swings and emotional lability (changes in mood may occur without an obvious trigger, such as laughing or becoming upset for no apparent reason)

Difficulties expressing and recognizing emotions; limited emotional responsiveness in some situations; reduced empathy and emotional reciprocity (e.g., not knowing how to comfort someone who is hurt or sad); misinterpreting others’ emotions and the reasons for their behavior.

Unusual fears (for example, fear of elevators, stairs, toilets, balloons, vacuum cleaners, thunder and lightning, or other).

Present now or present in the past

Limited awareness of danger; fearlessness; ignores danger (e.g., climbs to high places, wanders around the house at night, runs off alone, darts into the street, swims far from shore, goes off with strangers).