ABSTRACT
This study explored the relation of severity of functional impairment on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Parent version (CARS-P) to diagnosis, parenting stress, and child age. Twenty-two mothers of children with autism and 19 mothers of children with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) completed the CARS-P and the Parenting Stress Index. The autism group received significantly higher (i.e., more severe impairment) CARS-P ratings that did the PDD-NOS group. For the total sample, severity of impairment was a significant predictor of child-related parenting stress. The CARS-P was inconsistently associated with age-significantly positive for the PDD-NOS group but nonsignificantly for the autism group. Implications for the use of the CARS-P in assessment of children and the evaluation of interventions are discussed.