Self-observation questionnaire
Neurodivergence test
A self-observation questionnaire mapping neurodivergent traits in adults: sensory processing, social interaction, routines, attention and emotional regulation.
1What this questionnaire observes
1.1The reading axes
Your answers are spread across 5 axes, each computed on its own.
| Reading axis | Items |
|---|---|
| Social communication | 10 |
| Specific interests and routines | 10 |
| Sensory processing | 10 |
| Social masking | 10 |
| Empathy and reading emotions | 10 |
- Each item feeds a single axis: the column total is the number of items in the questionnaire.
1.2Limits of this questionnaire
This questionnaire does not tell you whether you are autistic, whether you have an attention disorder, or anything else about your health. It surveys traits that overlap across several profiles: a high score does not point to one profile rather than another. Only a professional assessment can make that distinction.
2How this questionnaire is built
The items in this questionnaire are written for Brain Quiz from the published literature in the field. A published scale is reproduced where its licence expressly allows it; here, the questionnaire is the site's own.
The 50 situations in this questionnaire were written for Brain Quiz, drawing on the literature about neurodivergent profiles in adults. No published scale is reproduced. The references below document the field explored, they are not the source of the items.
Sources. 3 references document the field observed, each one opening from its identifier.1,2,3
Publisher. Brain Quiz writes, publishes and maintains this questionnaire. Who writes this site
3The field observed
Neurodivergence describes a range of neurological profiles that differ from what is called neurotypical processing: autism, attention difficulties, high intellectual potential, dyslexia, dyscalculia and other variations. These are not illnesses but different ways of processing information, often paired with specific strengths (attention to detail, systemic thinking, hyperfocus) and specific challenges (social fatigue, emotional regulation, sensory processing).
In adults these profiles are often identified late, particularly in women, who are more often socialised to mask their traits from childhood. This self-observation questionnaire explores five axes of ten items each: social communication, specific interests and routines, sensory processing, social masking, and empathy and reading emotions. Its purpose is not to conclude anything, but to offer a structured map of how you function, useful for understanding your needs and spotting your sources of fatigue.
4Frequently asked questions
No, and no online questionnaire can. This test maps your tendencies axis by axis and gives you concrete reference points to understand how you function and where your fatigue or compensation shows up. If you want to go further, it is a useful starting point for a conversation with a psychiatrist or a neuropsychologist.
Masking is a conscious or unconscious strategy by which neurodivergent people imitate neurotypical behaviors to go unnoticed: learning to maintain eye contact, preparing conversation scripts, controlling stimming behaviors. Extremely common in autistic women, masking is exhausting over time and is associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, and autistic burnout.
Yes, this is extremely common. Many adults recognise their profile after 30, 40 or even 50. Criteria were long built from male and paediatric profiles, leaving out people who adapted quietly. Late recognition can be liberating: it offers a framework for rereading a life story and accessing coping strategies.
Sensory hypersensitivity is an amplified response to sensory stimuli: sounds, lights, textures, smells. Common in autism and some ADHD presentations, it can make ordinary environments (supermarkets, open-plan offices, classrooms) genuinely painful. Conversely, hyposensitivity may drive someone to seek intense stimulation. Both often coexist in the same person depending on the sensory modality.
No. Neurodivergence is a variation in cognitive functioning, not an intellectual deficiency. Many neurodivergent people have average or above-average intellectual abilities. High intellectual potential is in fact frequently associated with ADHD and autistic profiles. Difficulties encountered are linked to environments designed for neurotypical profiles, not to an intelligence deficit.
5References
Each entry carries its authors, year, title, journal and identifier.
- 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 ↑
- 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 ↑
- Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., Demler, O., Faraone, S., Hiripi, E., Howes, M. J., Jin, R., Secnik, K., Spencer, T., Ustun, T. B., & Walters, E. E. (2005). The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 35(2), 245-256. doi:10.1017/S0033291704002892 opens in a new tab ↑
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