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Learn more about CAFAS® reliability

If you are rating the CAFAS®, you have probably already done CAFAS® reliability ratings.  If you have not, please contact FAS at [email protected].

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Understand the meaning of the Moods/Emotions, Home, and/or Substance Use Subscales

These three subscales have a very specific meaning, as described below:

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Determine which CAFAS® Items have been updated from paper CAFAS® to FAS Outcomes

There have been some minor changes to the wording of the CAFAS Items to clarify their intent.  See below for a table that outlines the changes:

Subscale

Item #

Old Item Description

New Item Description

Description of Changes

School

008

Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, persists despite the youth having been placed in a special learning environment or receiving a specialized program or treatment.

Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, persists despite the youth having been placed in a special learning environment or receiving a specialized program or treatment (e.g., emotionally impaired school resources)

Addition of examples at the end of the item.

School

017

Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, resulting in individualized program or specialized treatment being needed or implemented.

Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, resulting in individualized program or specialized treatment being needed or implemented (e.g., emotionally impaired school resources)

Addition of examples at the end of the item.

School

018

Receiving a reprimand, warning, or equivalent at work.

At work, received a reprimand, warning, or equivalent

Started the item with "At work"

Home

041

Not in the home due to behavior that occurred in the home during the rating period.

Not in the home due to child's behavior that occurred in the home during the rating period

Specified that it is the child's behavior

Community

066

Confined related to behavior which seriously violated the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution).

Confined related to behavior which seriously violated the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution, violation of probation conditions)

Added "violation of probation conditions"

Community

067

Substantial evidence of, or convicted of, serious violation of the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution)

Substantial evidence of, or convicted of, serious violation of the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution, violation of probation conditions)

Added "violation of probation conditions"

Community

073

Serious and/or repeated delinquent behavior (e.g., stealing without confronting a victim as in shoplifting, vandalism, defacing property, taking a car for a joyride).

Serious and/or repeated delinquent behavior (e.g., stealing without confronting a victim, shoplifting, vandalism, defacing property, taking a car for a joyride)

Removed "as in" before shoplifting

Behavior Toward Others

096

Poor judgment or impulsive behavior resulting in dangerous or risky activities that could lead to injury or getting into trouble, more than other youths.

Poor judgment or impulsive behavior resulting in dangerous or risky activities that could lead to injury or harm to others, more than other youths

Replaced "getting into trouble" with "harm to others"

Moods/Emotions

126

Emotional blunting (i.e., no or few signs of emotional expression; emotional expression is markedly flat).

For traumatized youth, emotional blunting (i.e., no or few signs of emotional expression; emotional expression is markedly flat) OR marked distress around recollections, dreams, or reminders related to the original trauma

Specified that it is for traumatized youth and added descriptions

Substance Use

154

Lifestyle centers on acquisition and use (e.g., preoccupied with thoughts or urges to use substances, cravings for substances, uses in the morning).

Lifestyle centers on acquisition and use of any substances (e.g., preoccupied with thoughts or urges to use substances; cravings for substances; uses in the morning)

Added "of any substances"

Substance Use

155

Dependent on continuing use to maintain functioning (e.g., likely to experience withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, headaches, nausea, vomiting, shaking, etc.).

Dependent on continuing substance use to maintain functioning (e.g., likely to experience withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, headaches, nausea, vomiting, shaking, etc.)

Added the word "Substance"

Substance Use

156

Failing or expelled from school related to effects of usage.

Failing or expelled from school related to effects of substance usage

Added the word "Substance"

Substance Use

157

Fired or losing job related to effects of usage.

Fired or lost job related to effects of substance usage

Added the word "Substance"

Substance Use

158

Frequently intoxicated or high (e.g., more than two times a week).

Frequent intoxication or marijuana use (e.g., three or more times a week)

Substituted "marijuana use" for "high" and changed "more than two times a week" to "three or more times a week"

Substance Use

159

Use of substances is associated with serious negative consequences (e.g., injured, in accident, doing illegal acts, failing classes, experiencing physical health problems).

Use of substances is associated with serious negative consequences (e.g., injured, in accident, doing illegal acts, driving while under the influence, failing classes, experiencing physical health problems)

Added "driving while under the influence"

Substance Use

161

Is pregnant or is a parent and gets drunk or routinely uses alcohol.

Is pregnant or is a parent and gets drunk or uses alcohol routinely

Changed the order of the words to put "routinely" at the end of the item

Substance Use

162

Has blackouts, drinks alone, or cannot stop drinking once started.

Has blackouts, cannot control use, does not stop using once started, discontinuing use would cause distress or discomfort, OR consistently drinks alone (or uses other substances alone)

Added concepts of "cannot control use", and "discontinuing use would cause distress or discomfort"

Substance Use

169

High or intoxicated once or twice a week.

Intoxication or marijuana use once or twice a week

Substituted "marijuana use" for "high"

Substance Use

170

For 12 years or younger, occasional use without intoxication and without becoming obviously high.

For 12 years or younger, occasional alcohol use without intoxication or any use of other drugs

Substituted "any use of other drugs" for "without becoming obviously high"

Substance Use

172

Infrequent excess and only without serious consequences.

Infrequent intoxication or use of marijuana and only without serious consequences

Redefined "Infrequent excess" as "infrequent intoxication or use of marijuana"

Substance Use

173

Regular usage (e.g., once a week) but without intoxication or being obviously high.

Regular alcohol use without intoxication (e.g., once a week)

Omitted "or being obviously high"

Substance Use

179

Occasional use with no negative consequences.

Occasional alcohol use without intoxication or negative consequences

Clarified that it is alcohol use only and without intoxication

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Determine which CAFAS® Strengths and Goals have changed from paper CAFAS® to FAS Outcomes

A few Strengths and Goals have been retired and several others have been slightly updated.   Additionally, several Strengths and Goals have been added.  The table below gives a summary of the retired and updated Strengths and Goals:

Subscale

Old S/G Number

New S/G Number

Old S/G Description

New S/G Description

Comments/Rationale on Changes

Retired Strengths and Goals

Home

42

N/A

Accepts direction from caregiver

N/A

There is one item in Home that is similar (New #57 - Complies easily and routinely with adult requests)

Behavior Towards Others

95

N/A

Participates in positive peer activities (e.g., sports)

N/A

There is an item in Community that is similar (New #89 - Participates in sports activities) 

Behavior Towards Others

96

N/A

Belongs to community clubs (e.g., scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship)

N/A

There is a similar item in Community (New #90 - Belongs to a prosocial club/group/program (e.g. scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship))

Self-Harmful Behavior

145

N/A

Practices safe sex (e.g., uses condom) or abstinence

N/A

This was split into two items in Behavior Towards Others:
- New #127 - Responsible sexual behavior (e.g., abstains or is monogamous)
-  New #128 -Practices safe sex measures (e.g. uses condoms) when sexually active), and

Substance Use

162

N/A

Is involved in alternative pro-social activities

N/A

Is similar to two items in Community:
- New #89 - Participates in sports activities
- New #90 - Belongs to a prosocial club/group/program (e.g. scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship)
- New #91 - Has positive leisure activities 

Updated Strengths and Goals

School/Work

9

12

Regular classroom teacher can manage behavior

Teacher in regular classroom can manage behavior

Started with "teacher in"

School/Work

10

14

Good behavior in classroom (not a problem)

Good behavior in classroom 

Removed "(not a problem)"

Community

62

77

Is trying to disengage from friends who get into trouble

Disengaging from friends who get into trouble

Rephrased "Is trying"

Community

64

79

Is motivated to stay out of trouble

Motivated to stay out of trouble

Removed "Is" in "Is motivated"

Community

71

87

Has supportive relationships (outside the family)

Has positive, supportive relationship with at least one adult in his/her life (outside of family)

Added "positive" and specified an adult.

Community

73

90

Is a member of a prosocial club

Belongs to a prosocial club/group/program (e.g. scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship)

Provided examples of prosocial clubs

Community

74

91

Has leisure activities which are alternatives to antisocial behavior

Has positive leisure activities 

Specified that leisure activities are positive, and removed "alternatives to antisocial behavior"

Behavior Towards Others

83

101

Is able to control impulses

Can control impulses

Rephrased "Is able"

Behavior Towards Others

87

107

Is aware of problems related to social skills and is working on improving them

Aware of problems related to social skills and is working on improving them

Rephrased "Is aware"

Behavior Towards Others

88

108

Is motivated to have more/better friends

Motivated to have more friends

Rephrased "Is motivated"

Behavior Towards Others

99

119

Shows empathy towards others

Shows kindness to others

Changed from "empathy" to "kindness"

Moods/Emotions

112

134

Can express strong emotions appropriately

Expresses strong emotions appropriately

Rephrased "Can express"

Moods/Emotions

114

137

Is able to express emotional needs appropriately

Expresses emotional needs appropriately

Rephrased "Can express"

Moods/Emotions

132

159

No somatic complaints

No somatic complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches)

Provided examples of somatic complaints

Substance Use

159

182

Is trying to disengage from friends who use (to develop non-using social network)

Disengaging from friends who use (to develop non-using social network)

Rephrased "Is trying"

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