Autism-spectrum trait check

The AQ-10 selects the ten most discriminating items from the 50-item Autism Spectrum Quotient, developed at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre and recommended in UK NICE guidance as a pre-referral screen for adults. Answer intuitively — there are no wrong answers. Scoring happens on your device.

The AQ-10 was published by Allison, Auyeung and Baron-Cohen in 2012, selecting the ten most discriminating items from the full 50-item AQ while keeping similar sensitivity (0.88) and specificity (0.91). It exists to help clinicians decide who merits a full assessment.

Scoring is directional: about half the items score on agreement and half on disagreement, for a 0-10 total with a referral cutoff of 6. This page handles the direction for you — just answer intuitively.

Spectrum traits are continuous; many neurotypical people score high. Crossing the cutoff means a fuller evaluation is worthwhile, not that you are diagnosed — and scoring low does not erase real difficulties.

Source: AQ-10 · Allison, Auyeung & Baron-Cohen (2012) · Published by the Autism Research Centre for clinical screening use · Original source

Indicate how much each statement applies to you.

1. I often notice small sounds when others do not
2. I usually concentrate more on the whole picture, rather than the small details
3. I find it easy to do more than one thing at once
4. If there is an interruption, I can switch back to what I was doing very quickly
5. I find it easy to 'read between the lines' when someone is talking to me
6. I know how to tell if someone listening to me is getting bored
7. When I'm reading a story, I find it difficult to work out the characters' intentions
8. I like to collect information about categories of things (e.g., types of car, bird, train, plant)
9. I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face
10. I find it difficult to work out people's intentions