Psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST): an exploratory study.

The team asked if the Mandarin CAST keeps the same two-part structure as the English version. They gave the parent form to a large group of Chinese-speaking children. The kids were from regular schools and clinics.

They used math checks to see if the items still split into social-communication problems and rigid-repetitive behaviors.

The numbers lined up with the English CAST. Two clear factors showed up again: one for social-communication gaps and one for inflexible, stereotyped actions.

That means the Mandarin CAST can be scored the same way Western teams do it.

Sun et al. (2013) had already shown that Mandarin CAST scores stay steady across two to four months. The new study adds that the factor shape is stable too.

Williams et al. (2005) found the same two factors in UK kids. The Chinese data now match that picture, so the tool travels well.

Fitzpatrick et al. (2017) later repeated the job in Spanish and also got two factors. Together these papers say the CAST keeps its shape in very different languages.

Sun et al. (2014) compared the CAST head-to-head with the older CABS screen in the same year. CAST caught far more autism cases, so it looks like the better pick.

If you serve Mandarin-speaking families, you can use the CAST with confidence. Score social-communication and rigid behavior parts separately to guide next steps. The same cut-offs used in English work here, saving you translation guesswork.