Using the Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scales (CARS) to predict long term outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Researchers followed 35 Singapore preschoolers diagnosed with autism. They gave each child two quick screening tools at intake: the Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS).

Six years later they tested the same kids again. They looked at who still had an ASD label, how severe their symptoms were, and how well they coped with daily life.

Both tools were equally good at guessing who would keep the diagnosis and at mapping adaptive gains. Only ADEC scores at age three predicted how severe autism traits would look six years later.

CARS scores missed that long-term signal. In plain words, ADEC gives you a crystal-ball edge that CARS does not.

Jónsdóttir et al. (2007) saw CARS scores drop during the preschool years. That seems to clash with Yong-Hwee’s finding that CARS cannot predict later severity. The gap is about purpose: Lóa tracked short-term change; Yong-Hwee asked which early score forecasts the far future.

Giserman-Kiss et al. (2020) add confidence. They showed 88 % of under-three diagnoses stick, using best-practice tools. Yong-Hwee narrows the field further by naming ADEC as the stronger long-term predictor within that stable pool.

Van Hanegem et al. (2014) mapped four autism severity trajectories with the ADOS. Their pattern of mostly stable classes backs Yong-Hwee’s claim that early severity scores hold meaning over time, even if the exact numbers differ across tests.

If you run intake assessments for young children, lead with ADEC when families want to know “how will my child look years from now?” Keep CARS for diagnostic odds, but lean on ADEC for six-year outlook. One practical shift: score ADEC first and flag kids with high totals for closer long-term monitoring.