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While the sexual health risks among young people of color in foster care have been well-documented, healthy sexual development in this population has been less examined. The current study explored the experiences of Black youth in foster care and the factors that influenced their safer sex practices. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 sexually active Black participants (18–22 years old) in foster care from a large, Midwestern city in the United States. Grounded theory methods were used to (a) construct a conceptual framework illustrating the conditions the youth experienced that influenced their safer sex efforts, and (b) describe different types of intimate relationships that reflected their sexual health practices. Using specific strategies, the majority of the youth overcame obstacles and participated in positive sexual health practices. More than half (59%) reported they were in an intimate relationship for at least 6 months and either abstained from sex, used condoms 100% of the time, or employed safer sex methods. The findings suggest Black youth in state care can engage in positive sexual health practices and form healthy intimate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a 37-item parental self-completion questionnaire designed to screen for high-functioning autism spectrum conditions in epidemiological research. The CAST has previously demonstrated good accuracy for use as a screening test, with high sensitivity in studies with primary school aged children in mainstream schools. This study aimed to investigate test-retest reliability of the CAST in a high scoring sample. To this end, 73 parents filled in the second CAST (CAST-2) within approximately 2 months of the first administration of the CAST (CAST-1). Agreement above and below the cut-point of 15 was investigated. The kappa statistic for agreement (<1 S versus ≥15) was 0.41. It was found that 70 percent (95% CI: 58, 80) of children did not move across the cut-point of 15. The correlation between the two test scores was 0.67 (Spearman's rho). The CAST shows moderate test-retest reliability in a high scoring sample, further evidence that it is a relatively robust screening tool for epidemiological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a 37-item parental self-completion questionnaire to screen for autism spectrum conditions in research. Good test accuracy was demonstrated in studies with primary school aged children in mainstream schools. The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the CAST. Parents of 1000 children in years 1-6 in five mainstream primary schools in Cambridgeshire received the CAST. A second identical questionnaire was posted to respondents after approximately 2 weeks. Both mailings generated 136 responses. Agreement above and below a screening cut-point of 15 was investigated. The kappa statistic for agreement (< 15 versus ≥ 15) was 0.70, and 97 percent (95 percent CI: 93-99 percent) of children did not move across the cut-point of 1 5. The correlation between the two test scores was 0.83 (Spearman's rho). The CAST has shown good test-retest reliability, and now requires further investigation in a high-scoring sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review examines the evidence for screening for autism spectrum disorders in the general population and the information needed to inform screening policy. The UK National Screening Committee criteria are taken as the framework. These criteria cover the condition, the screening test, the treatment and the screening programme as a whole. With respect to the condition, reasons for variation in prevalence estimates for autism spectrum disorders need to be resolved and there are few longitudinal studies to describe the natural history of autism spectrum disorders that include data on children identified at an early age. There is no screening test suitable for use in a population setting that has been fully validated. There is insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions. This review supports the current policy position of the National Screening Committee, that on the basis of existing evidence, screening for autism spectrum disorders cannot be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a parental questionnaire to screen for autism spectrum conditions. In this validation study, the CAST was distributed to 1925 children aged 5-11 in mainstream Cambridgeshire schools. A sample of participants received a full diagnostic assessment, conducted blind to screen status. The sensitivity of the CAST, at a designated cut-point of 15, was 100 percent, the specificity was 97 percent and the positive predictive value was 50 percent, using the group's consensus diagnosis as the gold standard. The accuracy indices varied with the case definition used. The sensitivity of the accuracy statistics to case definition and to missing data was explored. The CAST is useful as a screening test for autism spectrum conditions in epidemiological research. There is not currently enough evidence to recommend the use of the CAST as a screening test within a public health screening programme in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]