Validation of the Lebanese Childhood Autism Rating Scale - Second Edition - High Functioning Version

This paper presents the psychometric properties of the Lebanese version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale Second Edition, High Functioning Version (CARS2-HF). The participants consisted of 30 children aged 6-18 years among which 24 had a clinical diagnosis of Asperger disorder or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified and 6 had a clinical diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). All participants were verbally fluent and had IQ estimates of 80 or higher, determined with the Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability (WNV). Forward and backward translation of the CARS2-HF and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale Second Edition, Questionnaire for Parents or Caregivers (CARS2-QPC) was completed before the administration of the scales. The results of this study showed that the Lebanese CARS2-HF has a high degree of internal consistency (.92), inter-rater reliability (.97), and test-retest reliability (.99). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis determined that individuals with total raw scores below 26 are less likely - to be in the autism spectrum. This instrument can be used in screening and assessing for ASD in high-functioning Lebanese and Arab speaking individuals.