RAADS-R scores explained: what your result means

The RAADS-R is one of the most thorough autism questionnaires for adults that you can take on your own. With 80 statements and a total score from 0 to 240, the result can be hard to make sense of. In this article, we explain how the score is calculated, what the thresholds mean, how to read the scores for each area, and what you can do next.

A short introduction to the RAADS-R

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale – Revised was published in 2011 by Riva Ariella Ritvo and colleagues. It was made for adults whose autism may have been overlooked in childhood, often people who have managed school and work but have always felt different. The statements cover social relationships, interests and routines, language, and sensory experiences.

The RAADS-R asks about two periods of your life: now, and when you were younger than 16. This matters because autism is present from early childhood. Traits that have been there your whole life point more clearly towards autism than traits that have appeared recently, for example during a period of stress or depression.

How the score is calculated

For each statement, you choose one of four answers:

• True now and when I was young: 3 points
• True now only: 2 points
• True only when I was younger than 16: 1 point
• Never true: 0 points

Seventeen of the statements describe ordinary non-autistic behaviour, such as “I am a sympathetic person”. These are scored in reverse, so “never true” gives 3 points. That way the questionnaire also picks up traits that people find hard to describe directly. All the points are added up to a total between 0 and 240.

What the total score means

In the original study, the threshold was set at 65 points. Of the autistic participants, 97% scored 65 or more, and none of the non-autistic participants did. Autistic participants scored about 134 on average, and non-autistic participants about 26.

On test-autism.com, we describe the total score like this:

• 0–39: very unlikely to be autistic. You report few autistic traits.
• 40–64: unlikely to be autistic. You report some traits, but fewer than most autistic people.
• 65–129: likely to be autistic. You are above the threshold from the original study.
• 130 and above: very likely to be autistic. Your score is at or above the average for autistic people in the original study.

The original study was done in specialist clinics, with a professional present while participants answered. Later studies in other groups, for example people referred for an autism assessment, have found that more non-autistic people score above 65 than the first study suggested. Many of them had other conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD or personality disorders, which share some traits with autism. So a score above 65 is a good reason to find out more, but it isn't proof.

The four areas

Your total is made up of scores in four areas. The original study also suggested a threshold for each area, which autistic participants usually reached:

• Social relatedness (39 statements, 0–117 points, threshold 31): friendships, empathy, understanding unwritten social rules and how tiring social situations feel.
• Circumscribed interests (14 statements, 0–42 points, threshold 15): intense interests, a need for routines and sameness, and how you react to change.
• Language (7 statements, 0–21 points, threshold 4): taking things literally, understanding figures of speech and following the back-and-forth of conversation.
• Sensory/motor (20 statements, 0–60 points, threshold 16): being bothered by sounds, light, textures and smells, and repetitive movements.

The areas can tell you more than the total on its own. Many autistic adults score highest on social relatedness and sensory experiences, but the pattern varies a lot from person to person. A high score in only one area, for example sensory sensitivity, can also have other explanations.

What can make the score misleading

• Other conditions: anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and some personality disorders can make you agree with many of the statements.
• Your current situation: if you are going through a hard period, you may describe yourself more negatively than usual.
• Memory of childhood: it can be hard to remember what you were like before 16. If you can, ask a parent or someone who knew you as a child.
• Masking: people who have spent many years hiding their traits may not recognise them in themselves, and can score lower than expected. The CAT-Q measures this.

What to do with your result

If your score is above 65, and especially if you recognise yourself in many of the statements about childhood, it can be worth talking to a doctor or psychologist about an autism assessment. Bring your result and some concrete examples from your everyday life and your childhood. Read our guide on how to get an autism assessment as an adult.

If your score is lower but you still recognise yourself, your experiences are still valid. Screening questionnaires miss some autistic people, especially those who mask a lot. You can also compare with the AQ-50, which looks at autistic traits in a different way.

Want to take the test or try it again? Take the RAADS-R for free here.