Screening Tools

Teen

The Adolescent Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

Ages 12-15 years

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