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Screening tools · Autistic traits · Ages 12–15

Adolescent Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ).

The full 50-item AQ-Adolescent for a parent or caregiver answering about an adolescent ages 12–15. The score describes patterns reported by the caregiver; it does not diagnose or rule out autism.

What this measure assesses

The AQ-Adolescent asks about social, communication, attention-switching, imagination and detail-related patterns. A parent or caregiver completes all 50 items about the adolescent’s usual behaviour.

Questionnaire

AQ-Adolescent

Intended for: Parents or caregivers answering about an adolescent ages 12–15

Below is a list of statements about your child. Please read each statement very carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree by selecting the appropriate option opposite each question. DO NOT MISS ANY STATEMENT OUT.

Your answers and score are not sent to BrainLab.

1. S/he prefers to do things with others rather than on her/his own.
2. S/he prefers to do things the same way over and over again.
3. If s/he tries to imagine something, s/he finds it very easy to create a picture in her/his mind.
4. S/he frequently gets so strongly absorbed in one thing that s/he loses sight of other things.
5. S/he often notices small sounds when others do not.
6. S/he usually notices car number plates or similar strings of information.
7. Other people frequently tell her/him that what s/he has said is impolite, even though s/he thinks it is polite.
8. When s/he is reading a story, s/he can easily imagine what the characters might look like.
9. S/he is fascinated by dates.
10. In a social group, s/he can easily keep track of several different people’s conversations.
11. S/he finds social situations easy.
12. S/he tends to notice details that others do not.
13. S/he would rather go to a library than a party.
14. S/he finds making up stories easy.
15. S/he finds her/himself drawn more strongly to people than to things.
16. S/he tends to have very strong interests, which s/he gets upset about if s/he can’t pursue.
17. S/he enjoys social chit-chat.
18. When s/he talks, it isn’t always easy for others to get a word in edgeways.
19. S/he is fascinated by numbers.
20. When s/he is reading a story, s/he finds it difficult to work out the characters’ intentions.
21. S/he doesn’t particularly enjoy reading fiction.
22. S/he finds it hard to make new friends.
23. S/he notices patterns in things all the time.
24. S/he would rather go to the theatre than a museum.
25. It does not upset him/her if his/her daily routine is disturbed.
26. S/he frequently finds that s/he doesn’t know how to keep a conversation going.
27. S/he finds it easy to “read between the lines” when someone is talking to her/him.
28. S/he usually concentrates more on the whole picture, rather than the small details.
29. S/he is not very good at remembering phone numbers.
30. S/he doesn’t usually notice small changes in a situation, or a person’s appearance.
31. S/he knows how to tell if someone listening to him/her is getting bored.
32. S/he finds it easy to do more than one thing at once.
33. When s/he talks on the phone, s/he is not sure when it’s her/his turn to speak.
34. S/he enjoys doing things spontaneously.
35. S/he is often the last to understand the point of a joke.
36. S/he finds it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face.
37. If there is an interruption, s/he can switch back to what s/he was doing very quickly.
38. S/he is good at social chit-chat.
39. People often tell her/him that s/he keeps going on and on about the same thing.
40. When s/he was younger, s/he used to enjoy playing games involving pretending with other children.
41. S/he likes to collect information about categories of things (e.g. types of car, types of bird, types of train, types of plant, etc.).
42. S/he finds it difficult to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.
43. S/he likes to plan any activities s/he participates in carefully.
44. S/he enjoys social occasions.
45. S/he finds it difficult to work out people’s intentions.
46. New situations make him/her anxious.
47. S/he enjoys meeting new people.
48. S/he is a good diplomat.
49. S/he is not very good at remembering people’s date of birth.
50. S/he finds it very to easy to play games with children that involve pretending.

0 of 50 answered

Score guide

Understanding this score

Use the score as one piece of information. A screening questionnaire cannot establish a diagnosis or rule out a condition.

Score guide for AQ-Adolescent

How scoring works

Each of the 50 caregiver-report items scores 0 or 1 according to the published key, producing a total from 0 to 50.

Published ranges or thresholds

The original study reported 30 as a research cut-off. It is not a diagnostic boundary.

What a higher score may indicate

A score at or above the original research cut-off supports considering the result with broader developmental evidence.

What a lower score may indicate

A lower score does not rule out autism or another developmental concern.

Evidence and limitations

The AQ-Adolescent was developed for caregiver report about adolescents ages 12–15. Caregiver report may differ from an adolescent’s internal experience and should be interpreted across settings and development.

Screening vs assessment

A questionnaire is not a psychological assessment.

A questionnaire can help you notice patterns, but it does not diagnose, produce a psychological assessment report or replace professional evaluation. You do not need to complete one before requesting an assessment.

Compare screening and assessmentUse the Assessment Planner

When further support may be useful

Consider professional discussion when developmental, communication, sensory, flexibility or participation questions persist or affect the adolescent’s daily life—even when the score is below the research cut-off.

View autism assessmentCompare ADHD, autism and anxiety

Frequently asked questions

Is this the AQ-10 Adolescent?

No. This page implements the full 50-item AQ-Adolescent.

Who answers the AQ-Adolescent?

A parent or caregiver answers about an adolescent ages 12–15.

Does a score of 30 mean the adolescent is autistic?

No. It is a research cut-off from the original study, not a standalone diagnosis.

Can a lower score rule out autism?

No. Developmental history, masking, context, strengths, needs and functioning are not captured completely by a questionnaire.

Source

Autism Research Centre — AQ-Adolescent (opens in a new tab)

Copyright

© MRC-SBC/SJW Feb 1998. Scoring key © MRC-SBC/SJW Apr 2007.

Reference

Next step

Consider the result in developmental context.

Explore BrainLab’s autism assessment or the age-based screening library without treating this score as a diagnosis.

Learn About Autism AssessmentView All Screening Tools