Autism Spectrum Quotient
The Autism Spectrum Quotient is an adult self-report questionnaire about autistic traits. This page is for clinics. It is not a diagnostic observation and not a public test.
Overview
What is the AQ?
The AQ, developed at the Autism Research Centre, is a self-report trait questionnaire used in research and some adult pathways. It is not ADOS-2 or ADI-R. A questionnaire result cannot replace specialist developmental assessment.
Development and clinical use
Baron-Cohen and colleagues published the AQ as a 50-item adult self-report. Shorter screens such as AQ-10 were derived later. The family of forms is easy to confuse, so clinics must name the exact version.
- Mode
- Adult self-report
- Common full form
- 50 items
- Not ADOS-2
- No observation module
- Not ADI-R
- No developmental interview
- Clinical role
- Questionnaire context
- Diagnosis
- Not established by score
Administration
A focused client experience
Adults rate statements about themselves. Results may inform whether a specialist assessment is discussed. They do not observe interaction, development, or adaptive function.
- One question at a time with visible progress
- Large keyboard-operable response choices
- Previous, next, and answer-review steps
- Clear confirmation that results go to the clinic
The illustration does not reproduce AQ statements.
Report showcase
Designed to make evidence easy to review
The downloadable synthetic example illustrates report layout using invented response patterns, without patient data or instrument questions.
- Named instrument, version, and provenance
- Item-level response pattern without source wording
- Methodology, references, and clinical boundary
- Responsible clinician review rather than automated conclusions
Clinician review required
Methodology
Understand the measure and its scoring conventions
Published scoring keys exist for full and short forms. This page does not independently verify a cutoff or production form. Use the official version for the population you intend.
References
- Original AQ paperBaron-Cohen S et al. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). J Autism Dev Disord. 2001;31(1):5-17.
- Official ARC materialsAutism Research Centre. Autism Spectrum Quotient.
Questions
What clinics ask before they evaluate the AQ
These answers stay inside educational catalogue scope. They do not replace official manuals or clinician judgement.
Is the AQ an autism diagnosis?
No. It is a self-report trait questionnaire. Specialist observation and developmental history remain separate.
Is this the same as AQ-10 or AQ-50?
They are related forms with different lengths. Name the exact version your clinic intends to use.
Can I complete AQ here?
No. This landing is educational and does not return a score.
How does AQ sit beside ADOS-2?
AQ is a questionnaire. ADOS-2 is a trained observational assessment with its own materials.