The Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire: Validation of a French Language Version and Refinement of Sensory Profiles of People with High Autism-Spectrum Quotient.
The French GSQ is a valid tool to capture sensory differences in adults with high autism traits, showing large correlations and distinct sensory profiles.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team translated the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire into French. They gave it to adults who also filled out the Autism-Spectrum Quotient.
They wanted to see if the French GSQ still works and if people with high autism traits show clear sensory patterns.
What they found
GSQ scores lined up almost perfectly with AQ scores. The higher the AQ, the more sensory quirks were reported.
People with high AQ showed the same unusual sensory pattern across sight, sound, touch, smell, and movement.
How this fits with other research
Canal-Bedia et al. (2011) did the same kind of language tweak with the Spanish M-CHAT. Both studies kept the tool’s power after translation.
Mélania et al. (2017) also validated a French autism tool, the Beach Center FQOL. Together these papers show French versions stay solid.
Freeth et al. (2013) warned that AQ scores can shift by culture. Laurie-Anne’s team kept that in mind and still found strong links, so the GSQ seems culture-safe in French adults.
Why it matters
You now have a free, French, research-backed way to map sensory needs in adults with high autism traits. Use the GSQ during intake to spot triggers and guide sensory breaks, environmental tweaks, or coping goals.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add the 42-item French GSQ to your intake packet and note any item scored ‘3’ as a priority sensory target.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Sensory sensitivity peculiarities represent an important characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We first validated a French language version of the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ) (Robertson and Simmons in J Autism Dev Disord 43(4):775-784, 2013). The GSQ score was strongly positively correlated with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) (r = 0.81, p < 10-6, n = 245). We further examined sensory profiles of groups with high versus low AQ. The high AQ group scored higher at the GSQ than the low AQ group for every sensory modality. Moreover, the high AQ group showed greater consistency in their patterns of hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity between sensory modalities, and stronger correlations between hyper and hyposensitivity. Results are discussed in the context of theories accounting for atypical sensory perception in ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3422-8