80 of adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders scored 32 or more, compared with only 2 of the control group. This finding provides evidence that boys and girls have different social and communication development profiles, consistent with previous findings in Western cultures. In the initial trials of the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4, with men scoring slightly higher than women (about 17 versus about 15). Among Indian children aged 118 years, pooled prevalence of autism in rural areas is 0. In Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India the prevalence of autism is about 1:93 children but rigorous population prevalence studies in India are scarce. There were differences in the proportions of boys and girls across all three score groups (=11, 12-14, =15) with more boys being found in the higher score groups (p = 0.035). Autism imposes a significant public health burden in South Asia. The median score for boys was higher than for girls. Questionnaires from 682 (93 %) children were available for analysis. The Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST Scott, Baron-Cohen, Bolton, & Brayne, 2002) (formerly known as the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test) is a parent questionnaire designed to screen for autism spectrum disorder among children aged 5 to 11 years. A Mandarin Chinese version of the CAST (M-CAST) was distributed to 737 children aged 6-11 years in mainstream schools in Beijing. This study explored sex differences related to ASC characteristics by examining differences in item responses and score distributions in relation to a screening instrument, the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), used with Chinese children. Little research has been done in Chinese populations. Sex differences in social and communication behaviours related to autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have been investigated mainly in Western populations. The autism spectrum encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, all pointing to the presence of disorders such as classic autism, Aspergers syndrome. Total scores can range from a low of 15 to a high of 60 scores below 30 indicate that the individual is in the non-autistic range, scores between 30 and 36.

Childhood autism spectrum test scores