Anxiety Evaluation Scale for Autistic Children, as Reported by Parents, Shows Superior Performance Compared to Other Anxiety Assessment Methods

Anxiety Evaluation Scale for Autistic Children, as Reported by Parents, Shows Superior Performance Compared to Other Anxiety Assessment Methods

The Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Parent Version (CAIS-P) has been identified as a more accurate tool for detecting treatment outcomes in autistic children with anxiety disorders, according to a study published in Autism in 2025 by researchers led by Huilin Chen[1][2].

In the study, the CAIS-P outperformed other commonly used parent-report anxiety scales in identifying whether autistic children had recovered from anxiety following treatment. The CAIS-P was found to capture meaningful changes in anxiety impact after treatment better than alternative parent-report questionnaires, making it a valuable tool in both clinical settings and research involving autistic children[1].

The research involved 167 autistic children aged 7–13 who took part in a randomized controlled trial and had an autism diagnosis, an IQ above 70, and clinically significant anxiety[1]. Alongside the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule with Autism Spectrum Addendum (ADIS/ASA), parents completed four commonly used anxiety measures: the CAIS-P, the Paediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Anxious/Depressed subscale, and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Parent Version (MASC-P)[1].

The CAIS-P showed particularly high diagnostic accuracy in girls, suggesting it may be especially sensitive to changes in anxiety among autistic females[1]. In contrast, other measures in the study had AUC values well below the commonly accepted threshold of 0.7, indicating limited diagnostic usefulness in this context[1].

The CAIS-P differs from other tools as it measures the extent to which anxiety interferes with a child's daily life across school, social, and family settings, rather than simply counting symptoms[1]. This approach provides a clearer picture of meaningful clinical change for autistic children by focusing on how anxiety disrupts everyday activities.

However, the study did not test autism-specific anxiety scales, which may perform differently[1]. Additionally, the findings apply specifically to post-treatment assessments and do not indicate whether the CAIS-P is effective at detecting anxiety in community settings or over longer periods of time[1].

The CAIS-P had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.802, indicating good performance in distinguishing between children who had and had not recovered from anxiety[1]. However, this result was based on imputed data and requires further investigation[1].

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions among children with autism, with estimates suggesting that up to 40% of autistic children experience diagnosable anxiety problems[1]. The CAIS-P's ability to accurately detect treatment outcomes offers a significant step forward in addressing these challenges and improving the lives of autistic children.

In conclusion, the CAIS-P is considered a more precise and sensitive parent-report tool to monitor anxiety treatment outcomes in autistic children than other widely used scales, addressing the challenge of distinguishing anxiety symptoms from core autism features[1][2]. This makes it especially useful for ongoing treatment planning and outcome evaluation.

[1] Chen, H., et al. (2025). Accuracy of parent-report anxiety scales in detecting treatment outcomes in autistic children: A comparison of the Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Parent Version, and other commonly used measures. Autism, 29(3), 636-648. [2] Chen, H., et al. (2025). The Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Parent Version: A promising tool for assessing treatment outcomes in autistic children with anxiety disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(5), 1503-1511.

1. The study published in Autism in 2025 by Huilin Chen et al. emphasized the importance of the Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Parent Version (CAIS-P) in detecting treatment outcomes for autistic children with anxiety disorders.
2. The CAIS-P outperformed other commonly used anxiety scales, revealing improvements in children's anxiety levels after treatment.
3. In the study, 167 autistic children aged 7–13 participated in a randomized controlled trial and used the CAIS-P, among other anxiety measures.
4. The CAIS-P was found to have high diagnostic accuracy, particularly in girls, suggesting it may be more sensitive to changes in anxiety among autistic females.
5. Other measures in the study had limited diagnostic usefulness, with AUC values well below the commonly accepted threshold of 0.7.
6. The CAIS-P measures the impact of anxiety on a child's daily life across various settings, providing a clearer picture of clinical change.
7. Although the study did not test autism-specific anxiety scales, it highlights the value of the CAIS-P as a parent-report tool for ongoing treatment planning and outcome evaluation.
8. Further investigation is required to understand the CAIS-P's performance based on imputed data.
9. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions among children with autism, affecting up to 40% of them.
10. The ability of the CAIS-P to precisely detect treatment outcomes offers a significant advancement in addressing these challenges and improving the lives of autistic children.
11. Mental health professionals may find the CAIS-P valuable in mental health, psychology, education-and-self-development, and career-development fields.
12. Research in mental health, including chronic diseases, neurological disorders, anxiety, and stress disorders, often leads to advancements in therapeuties-and-treatments, nutrition, and parenting.
13. In addition to anxiety, concerns related to digestive-health, respiratory-conditions, hearing, eye-health, skin-care, and cardiovascular-health can significantly impact an individual's well-being and quality of life.
14. Regular exercise and fitness activities can help maintain overall health-and-wellness, prevent chronic diseases, and improve mental-health.
15. Autoimmune disorders like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis are complex conditions requiring scientific understanding, medical-treatments, and self-awareness about values and personal-growth.
16. Workplace-wellness programs can help employees manage stress, boost productivity, and enhance overall well-being by focusing on aspects like fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, and communication.
17. Science and education in mental-health, fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, communication, and personal-development encourage self-improvement and promote a more balanced, stress-free, and healthy lifestyle for individuals and communities.

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