Methodology note
Methodology of the Autism test for women questionnaire
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 24 statements in this questionnaire were written for Brain Quiz from the literature on social camouflaging and compensation in adulthood. No published scale is reproduced, in whole or in part: not the CAT-Q, not the AQ, not the RAADS-R. The references below document the field explored; they are not the source of the statements.
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.
| Reading axis | Items |
|---|---|
| Social camouflaging | 6 |
| Energy cost | 6 |
| Deep interests and predictability | 6 |
| Hidden sensory discomfort | 6 |
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.
| Band | Range out of 100 | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Few signs of compensating | 0 to 29 | nonea |
| Compensating at times | 30 to 54 | conversation suggestedb |
| Established and costly compensating | 55 to 74 | conversation suggestedb |
| Constant compensating, high cost | 75 to 100 | reinforced guidancec |
- No guidance message comes with this band.
- The result mentions that a conversation with a professional can help.
- 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 compensating 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.
- Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2019). Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 819-833. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6 opens in a new tab ↑
- Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.-C., & Mandy, W. (2017). "Putting on My Best Normal": Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519-2534. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5 opens in a new tab ↑
- Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V., Ruigrok, A. N. V., Chakrabarti, B., Auyeung, B., Szatmari, P., Happé, F., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2017). Quantifying and exploring camouflaging in men and women with autism. Autism, 21(6), 690-702. doi:10.1177/1362361316671012 opens in a new tab ↑
- Bargiela, S., Steward, R., & Mandy, W. (2016). The Experiences of Late-diagnosed Women with Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Investigation of the Female Autism Phenotype. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3281-3294. doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2872-8 opens in a new tab ↑