The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ): evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians.
The 50-item AQ is a quick, reliable screener for autism traits in bright adults—score 32+ merits deeper assessment.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Roane et al. (2001) built a 50-question checklist called the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ).
Adults with Asperger or high-functioning autism, typical adults, and top scientists filled it out.
The team wanted a fast way to flag autism traits without a long clinic visit.
What they found
A score of 32 or higher caught 80 % of adults with AS/HFA.
Typical men scored a bit higher than typical women.
Math and science pros also scored slightly higher than other adults.
How this fits with other research
Lau et al. (2013) trimmed the AQ to 39 items and found five clear factors, so you can now get a profile instead of one big number.
do Egito et al. (2018) showed the Brazilian AQ works best with three factors, hinting that culture can tweak the structure.
Diz et al. (2011) used the same AQ with typical adults and linked higher scores to weaker focus under heavy distraction, giving lab proof for everyday attention problems.
Why it matters
Keep the AQ in your intake folder. It takes five minutes, needs no toys, and gives you a fast flag for bright clients who might need social skill or sensory supports. If the score is 32+, dig deeper; if it is lower but attention issues pop up, pair the AQ with a perceptual-load task to see the full picture.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Currently there are no brief, self-administered instruments for measuring the degree to which an adult with normal intelligence has the traits associated with the autistic spectrum. In this paper, we report on a new instrument to assess this: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Individuals score in the range 0-50. Four groups of subjects were assessed: Group 1: 58 adults with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA); Group 2: 174 randomly selected controls. Group 3: 840 students in Cambridge University; and Group 4: 16 winners of the UK Mathematics Olympiad. The adults with AS/HFA had a mean AQ score of 35.8 (SD = 6.5), significantly higher than Group 2 controls (M = 16.4, SD = 6.3). 80% of the adults with AS/HFA scored 32+, versus 2% of controls. Among the controls, men scored slightly but significantly higher than women. No women scored extremely highly (AQ score 34+) whereas 4% of men did so. Twice as many men (40%) as women (21%) scored at intermediate levels (AQ score 20+). Among the AS/HFA group, male and female scores did not differ significantly. The students in Cambridge University did not differ from the randomly selected control group, but scientists (including mathematicians) scored significantly higher than both humanities and social sciences students, confirming an earlier study that autistic conditions are associated with scientific skills. Within the sciences, mathematicians scored highest. This was replicated in Group 4, the Mathematics Olympiad winners scoring significantly higher than the male Cambridge humanities students. 6% of the student sample scored 32+ on the AQ. On interview, 11 out of 11 of these met three or more DSM-IV criteria for AS/HFA, and all were studying sciences/mathematics, and 7 of the 11 met threshold on these criteria. Test-retest and interrater reliability of the AQ was good. The AQ is thus a valuable instrument for rapidly quantifying where any given individual is situated on the continuum from autism to normality. Its potential for screening for autism spectrum conditions in adults of normal intelligence remains to be fully explored.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2001 · doi:10.1023/a:1005653411471