Autism and ASD related symptoms were assessed by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). The CARS is a 15-item scale that can be used to both diagnose ASD and assess the overall severity of the symptoms. The ABC assesses problem behaviors in five areas that are common in children with ASD, including irritability, lethargy, stereotypy, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech. Additionally, we assessed parents’ levels of anxiety with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The SAS is a 20-item scale that measures the severity of anxiety in parents of children with ASD.
The CARS, ABC, SRS, and SAS were administered at baseline (week 0), at the end of treatment (week 4), and at the end of the observation period (week 12).