BrainLab Psychology Group

Screening tools · Autistic traits · Ages 4–11

Child Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ).

The full 50-item AQ-Child for a parent or caregiver answering about a child ages 4–11. The score describes patterns reported by the caregiver; it does not diagnose or rule out autism.

What this measure assesses

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

Questionnaire

AQ-Child

Intended for: Parents or caregivers answering about a child ages 4–11

Please answer each of the following questions about your child or the person who is under your care by ticking a box that reflects your answer to the question most appropriately. If there is any question that you feel not able to comment, please ask your son, daughter, partner or the person to answer.

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 house numbers or similar strings of information.
7. S/he has difficulty understanding rules for polite behaviour.
8. When s/he is read 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 birthday party.
14. S/he finds making up stories easy.
15. S/he is 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 read a story, s/he finds it difficult to work out the characters’ intentions or feelings.
21. S/he doesn’t particularly enjoy fictional stories.
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 cinema than a museum.
25. It does not upset him/her if his/her daily routine is disturbed.
26. S/he doesn’t know how to keep a conversation going with her/his peers.
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 go back and forth between different activities.
33. When s/he talk 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 in preschool, 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 good at taking care not to hurt other people’s feelings.
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-Child

How scoring works

Each of the 50 caregiver-report items scores from 0 to 3 according to the published directional key, producing a total from 0 to 150.

Published ranges or thresholds

The original study reported 76 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 in a broader developmental evaluation.

What a lower score may indicate

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

Evidence and limitations

The AQ-Child was developed for caregiver report about children ages 4–11. One caregiver perspective cannot capture all settings, internal experiences, development, masking, strengths or support needs.

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 child’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 Child?

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

Who answers the AQ-Child?

A parent or caregiver answers about a child ages 4–11.

Does a score of 76 mean a child 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, context, masking, strengths, needs and functioning are not captured completely by a questionnaire.

Source

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

Copyright

© MRC-BA/SBC/SJW/CLA Feb 2008.

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