Self-reported autism symptoms in adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Goodwin et al. (2012) asked adults with autism to fill out the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, a 50-item checklist.

Clinicians and caregivers also rated the same adults.

The team then compared the three sets of scores to see if the checklist agreed with expert judgment.

Most adults who already had an autism diagnosis scored below the AQ cut-off.

The checklist matched poorly with what clinicians and caregivers saw.

In short, the AQ missed most adults who truly had ASD.

Baron-Cohen et al. (2004) had earlier shown that another self-report tool, the Empathy Quotient, cleanly separated adults with ASD from typical adults.

That success makes the AQ’s failure surprising, but the two tools measure different traits—empathy versus autistic traits—so both can be true.

Huang et al. (2020) later mapped the messy adult-diagnosis landscape and listed the AQ among tools that need better cut-offs, backing the 2012 warning.

Gotham et al. (2015) surveyed thousands of adults with ASD and found huge unmet needs; using a weak screen like the AQ would leave even more adults unsupported.

If you screen adults for autism, do not stop at the AQ. Add a clinician interview, caregiver report, or direct observation. One missed adult means lost years of job coaching, mental-health care, and social support. Build a fuller battery today and spare your clients the run-around.