Autism Spectrum Disorders and Self-reports: Testing Validity and Reliability Using the NEO-PI-R.

Hesselmark et al. (2015) asked adults with autism to fill out the NEO-PI-R. This is a long form that measures the Big Five personality traits.

The team checked if the answers were consistent, if the five factors showed up, and if autistic adults scored differently from typical adults.

The NEO-PI-R worked. Internal consistency was good. The five factors appeared as expected.

Autistic adults scored higher on neuroticism and lower on extraversion and agreeableness, matching past theory.

Cadman et al. (2015) ran a similar check on the OCI-R the same year. Both studies show that verbally fluent autistic adults can give trustworthy self-report data.

Sasson et al. (2018) found that autistic adults misjudge how others view their traits. Eva’s data say the NEO-PI-R is reliable, but J’s work reminds us that self-views may still differ from observer views.

Sturm et al. (2024) later validated the RAADS-R in adults. Together these papers build a track record: self-report tools can screen and describe autistic adults if they can speak or type.

If you assess autistic teens or adults, you can use the NEO-PI-R to learn about personality strengths and risks. Pair it with observer data, because autistic clients may not sense how they come across. One practical step: give the NEO-PI-R during intake, then review any high neuroticism or low agreeableness scores to plan supports for stress or teamwork.