Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Tests Tell YouTest for AdultsTests for ChildrenUnderstanding ResultsDifferential Diagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Tests Tell You
Test for Adults
Tests for Children
Understanding Results
Differential Diagnosis
These tests generally include 50 questions or fewer aboutautism traitsand behaviors. They can be completed in a few minutes, with results usually given as a score out of the total number possible.
What the Tests Can Tell You
Some traits may indicateautism with low support needs. If you recognize these characteristics in you or your child, you may want to take an online autism test and discuss the results with your healthcare provider. These traits include:
In addition to the general traits, children and toddlers who display the following signs may benefit from being tested:
People with intense autism traits are usually diagnosed at a very young age, while other people learn of their diagnosis later in childhood. For some autistic people with low support needs, a diagnosis may be overlooked as they “mask” traits into adulthood.
Choosing an Online Autism Test
Tests for Adults
If you’re an adult who wonders whether your challenges are the result of autism with low support needs, you may want to seek a diagnosis. That’s why several organizations have developed online screening tools to help you determine whether you are anautistic adult.
These tests include:
Sample Autism Test QuestionsSample questions for adults may ask about repetitive behaviors, like if you pace around or make repetitive motions.They may ask if you have a focused interest you talk about all the time. Or, they may ask how much you agree that a behavior describes you. These can include statements like:I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.I often notice small sounds when others do not.In a social group, I can easily keep track of several different people’s conversations.I enjoy social chitchat.
Sample Autism Test Questions
Sample questions for adults may ask about repetitive behaviors, like if you pace around or make repetitive motions.They may ask if you have a focused interest you talk about all the time. Or, they may ask how much you agree that a behavior describes you. These can include statements like:I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.I often notice small sounds when others do not.In a social group, I can easily keep track of several different people’s conversations.I enjoy social chitchat.
Sample questions for adults may ask about repetitive behaviors, like if you pace around or make repetitive motions.They may ask if you have a focused interest you talk about all the time. Or, they may ask how much you agree that a behavior describes you. These can include statements like:
It’s important to remember that parent observations may be biased or simply incorrect. Therefore, while caregiver input is very important, it cannot substitute for professional observation of the child.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers direct access to many of the most common tools used to diagnose young children, including:
Other Autism Tests for KidsThe following are also recommended autism screenings for children, but they’re not online autism tests. These are generally only given in a clinical setting:TheScreening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT): Designed for those ages 24 to 36 months, a child is prompted to interact with specific objects such as dolls, blocks, and toy cars. The examiner observes the child’s behavior to help identify whether there are autism traits present. The STAT test takes about 20 minutes to complete and includes 12 parts.The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ): This test is designed to assess children over age 4 who have a mental age above 2. It includes 40 questions and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Other Autism Tests for Kids
The following are also recommended autism screenings for children, but they’re not online autism tests. These are generally only given in a clinical setting:TheScreening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children (STAT): Designed for those ages 24 to 36 months, a child is prompted to interact with specific objects such as dolls, blocks, and toy cars. The examiner observes the child’s behavior to help identify whether there are autism traits present. The STAT test takes about 20 minutes to complete and includes 12 parts.The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ): This test is designed to assess children over age 4 who have a mental age above 2. It includes 40 questions and takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
The following are also recommended autism screenings for children, but they’re not online autism tests. These are generally only given in a clinical setting:
Next Steps After Positive Test Results
It’s critical to remember that online autism tests don’t diagnose autism. They can only suggest that you or your child may need to see a healthcare provider for a professional evaluation. It is also important to be aware that the results of an online assessment may not be correct.
The best reason to take an online autism test is to screen for possible traits of autism. Once you’ve completed the screening and have found that autism is a possibility, it’s time to take the next step:
Ruling Out Causes With Similar Traits
It is important to be aware that the symptoms of other disorders may be similar to autism traits. Your healthcare provider will want to rule out these conditions before a diagnosis:
Summary
Many online screening tests are available for adults and children who might have autism. They vary in how much research has gone into them and whether they have been validated. The results may be helpful but are not always definitive. It is important to follow up with a professional evaluation, which you will need for a diagnosis to apply for certain programs and services.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zuckerman KE, Rivas Vazquez LA, Morales Santos Y, Fuchu P, Broder-Fingert S, Dolata JK,et al.Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism. 2024 Aug;28(8):1947-1958. doi:10.1177/13623613231215399American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder signs and symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for healthcare providers.Barrett SL, Uljarević, M, Baker EK,et al.The Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A): A self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviours.J Autism Dev Disord.2015;45(11):3680-3692. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2514-6Lundqvist LO, Lindner H.Is the Autism-Spectrum Quotient a valid measure of traits associated with the autism spectrum? A Rasch validation in adults with and without autism spectrum disorders.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(7):2080-2091. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3128-yLundin A, Kosidou K, Dalman C.Measuring autism traits in the adult general population with the brief Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ-10: Findings from the Stockholm public health cohort.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(2):773-780. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3749-9Horwitz EH, Schoevers RA, Ketelaars CEJ, et al.Clinical assessment of ASD in adults using self- and other-report: Psychometric properties and validity of the Adult Social Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2016;24:17-28. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2016.01.003Tufts Medical Center.Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) User’s Manual.Brett JD, Peden B, Preece DA, Whitehouse A, Becerra R, Maybery MT.Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A).J Autism Dev Disord. 2024;54(6):2138-2147. doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05977-w
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zuckerman KE, Rivas Vazquez LA, Morales Santos Y, Fuchu P, Broder-Fingert S, Dolata JK,et al.Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism. 2024 Aug;28(8):1947-1958. doi:10.1177/13623613231215399American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder signs and symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for healthcare providers.Barrett SL, Uljarević, M, Baker EK,et al.The Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A): A self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviours.J Autism Dev Disord.2015;45(11):3680-3692. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2514-6Lundqvist LO, Lindner H.Is the Autism-Spectrum Quotient a valid measure of traits associated with the autism spectrum? A Rasch validation in adults with and without autism spectrum disorders.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(7):2080-2091. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3128-yLundin A, Kosidou K, Dalman C.Measuring autism traits in the adult general population with the brief Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ-10: Findings from the Stockholm public health cohort.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(2):773-780. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3749-9Horwitz EH, Schoevers RA, Ketelaars CEJ, et al.Clinical assessment of ASD in adults using self- and other-report: Psychometric properties and validity of the Adult Social Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2016;24:17-28. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2016.01.003Tufts Medical Center.Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) User’s Manual.Brett JD, Peden B, Preece DA, Whitehouse A, Becerra R, Maybery MT.Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A).J Autism Dev Disord. 2024;54(6):2138-2147. doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05977-w
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zuckerman KE, Rivas Vazquez LA, Morales Santos Y, Fuchu P, Broder-Fingert S, Dolata JK,et al.Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism. 2024 Aug;28(8):1947-1958. doi:10.1177/13623613231215399American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder signs and symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for healthcare providers.Barrett SL, Uljarević, M, Baker EK,et al.The Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A): A self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviours.J Autism Dev Disord.2015;45(11):3680-3692. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2514-6Lundqvist LO, Lindner H.Is the Autism-Spectrum Quotient a valid measure of traits associated with the autism spectrum? A Rasch validation in adults with and without autism spectrum disorders.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(7):2080-2091. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3128-yLundin A, Kosidou K, Dalman C.Measuring autism traits in the adult general population with the brief Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ-10: Findings from the Stockholm public health cohort.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(2):773-780. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3749-9Horwitz EH, Schoevers RA, Ketelaars CEJ, et al.Clinical assessment of ASD in adults using self- and other-report: Psychometric properties and validity of the Adult Social Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2016;24:17-28. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2016.01.003Tufts Medical Center.Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) User’s Manual.Brett JD, Peden B, Preece DA, Whitehouse A, Becerra R, Maybery MT.Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A).J Autism Dev Disord. 2024;54(6):2138-2147. doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05977-w
Zuckerman KE, Rivas Vazquez LA, Morales Santos Y, Fuchu P, Broder-Fingert S, Dolata JK,et al.Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism. 2024 Aug;28(8):1947-1958. doi:10.1177/13623613231215399
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition. American Psychiatric Association.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder signs and symptoms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for healthcare providers.
Barrett SL, Uljarević, M, Baker EK,et al.The Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2A): A self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviours.J Autism Dev Disord.2015;45(11):3680-3692. doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2514-6
Lundqvist LO, Lindner H.Is the Autism-Spectrum Quotient a valid measure of traits associated with the autism spectrum? A Rasch validation in adults with and without autism spectrum disorders.J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(7):2080-2091. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3128-y
Lundin A, Kosidou K, Dalman C.Measuring autism traits in the adult general population with the brief Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ-10: Findings from the Stockholm public health cohort.J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(2):773-780. doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3749-9
Horwitz EH, Schoevers RA, Ketelaars CEJ, et al.Clinical assessment of ASD in adults using self- and other-report: Psychometric properties and validity of the Adult Social Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ).Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2016;24:17-28. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2016.01.003
Tufts Medical Center.Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) User’s Manual.
Brett JD, Peden B, Preece DA, Whitehouse A, Becerra R, Maybery MT.Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A).J Autism Dev Disord. 2024;54(6):2138-2147. doi:10.1007/s10803-023-05977-w
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
