AQ-50: five subscale scores, not just one number

What is autism?

Autism (or Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in social communication and repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviour. Autism is a spectrum — every autistic person is unique. Many autistic adults are only diagnosed in adulthood, often after decades of developing social masking strategies that conceal autistic traits. Autistic women and high-achieving individuals are particularly vulnerable to late diagnosis.

Common autistic traits in adults

Autistic traits in adults may include: difficulty decoding social subtext and implied meaning, sensory sensitivities (sounds, lights, textures), intense and specific interests, need for routines and predictability, intense social fatigue after interactions, difficulty maintaining natural eye contact, and a tendency to interpret language literally. Many autistic people also experience alexithymia — difficulty identifying one's own emotions.

About the AQ test

This test uses the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), developed by Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge. The AQ-10 is the validated short form for rapid clinical screening. The AQ-50 is the full version measuring 5 dimensions: social skills, attention switching, attention to detail, communication, and imagination. On the AQ-50, 32/50 is the clinical threshold proposed by Baron-Cohen et al. (2001); 26/50 is a lower, more sensitive screening cut-off suggested later (Woodbury-Smith et al., 2005).