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Methodology note

Methodology of the Autism test for adults questionnaire

  • Self-observation
  • 28 items
  • 4 axes
  • 5 references

This page describes where the items come from, how the score is computed and the limits of this questionnaire. It is public and asks for no sign-up.

1Where the items come from

The items are written for Brain Quiz from the published literature in the field.

The 28 statements in this questionnaire were written for Brain Quiz from the literature on autistic traits in adulthood. No published scale is reproduced, in whole or in part: not the AQ, not the AQ-10, not the RAADS-R, not the CAT-Q. The references below document the field explored; they are not the source of the statements.

Sources. 28 items in total.1,2,3,4,5

2How the score is computed

Each answer is worth 0 to 4 points, multiplied by the weight of the question, which ranges from 1 to 3. Eight statements are reversed: agreeing with them lowers the score. The raw score is scaled to 100 and placed in one of the four bands. The four axes are calculated separately, as a percentage of the maximum reachable on the questions of that axis. The weights and thresholds were set by the Brain Quiz editorial team: they come from no population calibration.

2.1The reading axes

Each item feeds a single axis. Each axis is computed as a percentage of the maximum reachable on its own items.

Table 1. The 4 reading axes and the number of items feeding each one.
Reading axisItems
Social interaction7
Communication7
Routines and flexibility7
Sensory processing7

2.2The reading bands

The score brought back to 100 falls into one of these bands. The bounds are set by the editorial team, and shown here.

Table 2. The reading bands of the score out of 100, and the guidance attached to each one.
BandRange out of 100Guidance
Few traits identified0 to 29nonea
Some traits, on part of the axes30 to 54conversation suggestedb
Traits present across several axes55 to 74conversation suggestedb
Marked traits across all axes75 to 100reinforced guidancec
  1. No guidance message comes with this band.
  2. The result mentions that a conversation with a professional can help.
  3. The result shows a guidance message towards a health professional.

3Limits of the result

This questionnaire does not go back to your development in childhood, although that is central to any assessment. It does not examine the real impact of your difficulties on your work, your relationships and your health. Nor does it separate what might come from something else: social anxiety, long-term exhaustion, the after-effects of trauma. Those three points are at the heart of a professional's work and cannot be covered by an online questionnaire.

4References

Each entry carries its authors, year, title, journal and identifier.

  1. Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Skinner, R., Martin, J., & Clubley, E. (2001). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5-17. doi:10.1023/A:1005653411471 opens in a new tab ↑
  2. Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Toward Brief "Red Flags" for Autism Screening: The Short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Short Quantitative Checklist in 1,000 Cases and 3,000 Controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202-212. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.11.003 opens in a new tab ↑
  3. Ritvo, R. A., Ritvo, E. R., Guthrie, D., Ritvo, M. J., Hufnagel, D. H., McMahon, W., Tonge, B., Mataix-Cols, D., Jassi, A., Attwood, T., & Eloff, J. (2011). The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An International Validation Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1076-1089. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1133-5 opens in a new tab ↑
  4. Loomes, R., Hull, L., & Mandy, W. P. L. (2017). What Is the Male-to-Female Ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), 466-474. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.013 opens in a new tab ↑
  5. Lord, C., Brugha, T. S., Charman, T., Cusack, J., Dumas, G., Frazier, T., Jones, E. J. H., Jones, R. M., Pickles, A., State, M. W., Taylor, J. L., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 6(1). doi:10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4 opens in a new tab ↑
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