CLEAR Autism Diagnostic Evaluation (CADE): Evaluation of Reliability and Validity

Recent surveillance efforts indicate that 1 in 54 American children meet the criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), making it the fastest growing neurodevelopmental disorder in the U.S. Despite evidence that ASD can be reliably diagnosed as early as 24 months, the median age at ASD diagnosis in 2016 in the U.S. was 51 months. The CLEAR Autism Diagnostic Evaluation (CADE; Willard & Kroncke, 2019), was developed in response to the need to improve, shorten, and standardize the clinical ASD evaluation process. The CADE is a 33-item rating scale designed to be completed by caregivers and clinicians. The current study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the CADE using a sample of 191 individuals who received a private evaluation for ASD. Using the client’s evaluation records, clinicians completed the CADE items. The coefficient alpha was .94, which indicates that the items form a scale that has high internal consistency. The CADE total scores were highly correlated with ADOS scores, with r values ranging from .52—.86, and discriminated between those participants with a diagnosis of ASD and those without (p < .001). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses indicated excellent diagnostic accuracy of the CADE total score (ROC area under the curve = .998). Results suggest that the CADE can be used as an efficient and accurate means of evaluating ASD. Limitations and implications for use of the CADE are discussed.