The Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) is a tool that mental health professionals use to measure how well a child functions in their daily life. It helps them understand the impact of a child’s mental health challenges on their overall well-being and ability to participate in activities at home, school, and in the community.
How does the Children's Global Assessment Scale work?
A specialist talks with the child, parents, or teachers about the child’s behavior and abilities, then gives a score from 1 to 100.
What age range is the Children's Global Assessment Scale for?
The CGAS is intended for kids between the ages of 4 and 16.
What does a higher score on the CGAS indicate?
A higher score on the CGAS indicates better functionality in a child’s social, academic, and home life.
Can parents or caregivers use the CGAS to assess their child's functioning at home?
While the CGAS is primarily administered by mental health professionals, parents and caregivers can provide valuable input to help assess a child’s functioning, especially in the home environment. However, the final CGAS score is typically determined by a clinician.
The Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) is a numeric scale used by mental health clinicians to rate the general functioning of children under the age of 18. The scale assesses a child’s psychological, social, and occupational functioning, and is used to track clinical progress. Scores range from 1 (severely impaired) to 100 (doing very well).
Mental health professionals use CGAS scores to:
| CGAS Score Range | Level of Functioning |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | Extremely impaired |
| 11-20 | Very severely impaired |
| 21-30 | Severe problems |
| 31-40 | Serious problems |
| 41-50 | Obvious problems |
| 51-60 | Some noticeable problems |
| 61-70 | Some problems |
| 71-80 | Doing alright |
| 81-90 | Doing well |
| 91-100 | Doing very well |
By using CGAS scores, mental health professionals can better understand a child’s needs and provide targeted support to help them thrive.
This post was originally published on July 30, 2023. It was updated on April 19, 2024.
