AQ-Adolescent Autism Test

Before you start

This questionnaire helps you reflect on autistic traits. It does not give a diagnosis — only a qualified professional can do that.

For parents of teenagers aged 12–15. You answer 50 statements about your child. 50 questions with an instant result. Your answers are saved in your browser, so you can take a break at any time. This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.

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AQ-Adolescent Autism Test

Answers saved on this device

About the AQ-Adolescent

The AQ-Adolescent is the teenage version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). It was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen, Rosa Hoekstra, Rebecca Knickmeyer and Sally Wheelwright at the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge and published in 2006. It is meant for young people aged 12 to 15, and a parent or someone who knows the young person well answers the questions.

The statements are almost the same as in the adult AQ-50, with small changes so they fit teenagers. On this site, each statement starts with “My child”, where the original uses “S/he”.

What it measures

The 50 statements cover the same five areas as the adult version, with ten statements in each:

  • Social skill: how easy or hard your child finds social situations and making new friends.
  • Attention switching: how easily your child shifts their attention, and how they react when routines change.
  • Attention to detail: how much your child notices small details, patterns, numbers and dates.
  • Communication: how your child handles conversations, small talk, jokes and reading between the lines.
  • Imagination: how easily your child imagines stories, other people’s intentions and what it is like to be someone else.

How the score works

You answer each statement on a four-point scale from “definitely agree” to “definitely disagree”. If your answer points towards an autistic trait, the statement gives 1 point, whether you agree or disagree definitely or only slightly. Otherwise it gives 0 points. About half of the statements are worded the other way round. The total is between 0 and 50, just like the AQ-50.

In the original study, teenagers without autism scored about 18 on average, and autistic teenagers about 38. About 9 in 10 of the autistic teenagers scored 30 or more, while none of the teenagers without autism did. On this site, the result is described like this:

  • 0–19: very unlikely to be autistic
  • 20–29: unlikely to be autistic
  • 30–37: likely to be autistic
  • 38–50: very likely to be autistic

You also get a score for each of the five areas, so you can see which kinds of traits make up the total. Boys without autism scored a little higher than girls on average.

What the result can and can’t tell you

The AQ-Adolescent is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. The original study was small, with 131 autistic teenagers and 50 without autism, so the cut-off is a guide rather than a firm line. A high score means you recognise many traits in your child that are common in autistic teenagers, but anxiety, depression, ADHD and other conditions can also raise the score. A low score doesn’t rule out autism, especially in teenagers who mask their difficulties, which is more common in girls. If the score is high, or you recognise your child in many of the statements, talk to your child’s doctor.

For children aged 4 to 11, use the AQ-Child instead. From age 16, young people can take the AQ-50 themselves.

Source

Baron-Cohen S, Hoekstra RA, Knickmeyer R, Wheelwright S. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) – Adolescent Version. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2006; 36(3): 343–350.