The Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA): a diagnostic method.

Baron-Cohen et al. (2005) built a new checklist for spotting Asperger syndrome in adults. They called it the Adult Asperger Assessment, or AAA for short.

The team tried the AAA on a small group of adults who already had an Asperger label. They compared the new test results to the official DSM-IV rules to see if the numbers matched.

The AAA was pickier than DSM-IV. It gave the Asperger label to 80 out of every 100 adults, while DSM-IV flagged 88 out of 100.

The tighter rules mean fewer false positives, but some adults who once had a diagnosis would lose it under the AAA.

Sappok et al. (2015) also worked on adult autism tools. They showed the SCQ-current can catch 98 % of ASD cases in adults with ID, yet it also over-calls the diagnosis. The AAA moves the opposite way—it under-calls, giving clinicians a way to balance the SCQ’s loose net.

Katz et al. (2020) asked people how they feel about labels. They found the word “Asperger” often faces less stigma than “ASD” in close settings like work or college. The AAA keeps the Asperger name alive, so teams using it may spare clients some social heat that the DSM-5’s “ASD” label can bring.

Greene et al. (2019) surveyed autistic adults and heard a common story: doctors confuse autism traits with mental illness. A tighter tool like the AAA could cut this mix-up by separating true AS from other conditions before any psychiatric label is stuck on.

If you assess bright adults who wonder if they have Asperger, the AAA gives you a clear, computer-scored form that is harder to cheat or over-claim. It can act as a second screen after a broad tool like the SCQ, helping you avoid both over-diagnosis and the pain of later label changes. Keep a copy on your tablet: score it when a client needs crisp, court-ready documentation for college supports or workplace accommodations.