10.5. Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)¶
Warning
(§) Permissible for use in some situations but not all (e.g.: clinical, research, commercial, educational), enforced by CamCOPS based on the user’s replies.
A 50-item self-administered instrument for measuring the degree to which an adult with normal intelligence has the traits associated with the autistic spectrum.
The 50 questions are made up of 10 questions assessing five different areas:
social skill (items 1, 11, 13, 15, 22, 36, 44, 45, 47, 48);
attention switching (items 2, 4, 10, 16, 25, 32, 34, 37, 43, 46);
attention to detail (items 5, 6, 9, 12, 19, 23, 28, 29, 30, 49);
communication (items 7, 17, 18, 26, 27, 31, 33, 35, 38, 39);
imagination (items 3, 8, 14, 20, 21, 24, 40, 41, 42, 50).
Each question is scored as either 0 or 1, where 1 indicates a response more in keeping with an autistic spectrum trait (see Baron-Cohen et al. 2001, p6-7). The total score is therefore in the range 0-50. For some questions, agreement (“slightly agree” or “definitely agree”) is associated with the response more in keeping with autistic spectrum traits, and for some, disagreement (“slightly disagree” or “definitely disagree”) scores that point.
10.5.1. Intellectual property rights¶
From the source, which cites Baron-Cohen et al. (2001, as below), and from Baron-Cohen et al. (2001):
© MRC-SBC/SJW Feb 1998
[MRC = UK Medical Research Council; SBC = Simon Baron-Cohen, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9217-2544; SJW = Sally J. Wheelwright, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0657-2483.]
Email from Joanna Davis (Autism Research Centre, ARC, University of Cambridge) to Pia Thiemann (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, CPFT) on 3rd May 2024:
Tests developed at the Autism Research Centre (ARC) must only be used for professional, scientific, clinical, or personal purposes, and are not for commercial use. Use of these tests for commercial purposes violates copyright legislation. Full acknowledgement of the ARC as the source of the material must be given when using these tests, as well as the journal article where they were first described. You do not need permission to use the tests in your research because, once published, they are in the public domain. However, we do ask that you use the test responsibly and reference our work where appropriate. You may not adapt or modify any of these tests, unless permission has been given by the ARC.
[Note that the mention of “public domain” may not be accurate as that would contradict the assertion of copyright and the restrictions placed.]
10.5.2. History¶
Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Skinner R, Martin J, Clubley E (2001). The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ): evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians. J Autism Dev Disord. 31(1): 5-17. Erratum in: J Autism Dev Disord. 2001 Dec;31(6):603. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005653411471 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11439754/
Woodbury-Smith MR, Robinson J, Wheelwright S, Baron-Cohen S (2005). Screening adults for Asperger Syndrome using the AQ: a preliminary study of its diagnostic validity in clinical practice. J Autism Dev Disord. 35(3): 331-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-3300-7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16119474/
Wakabayashi A, Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Tojo Y (2006). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in Japan: A cross-cultural comparison. J Autism Dev Disord. 36(2): 263-70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0061-2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16586157/
Wheelwright S, Baron-Cohen S, Goldenfeld N, Delaney J, Fine D, Smith R, Weil L, Wakabayashi A (2006). Predicting Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) from the Systemizing Quotient-Revised (SQ-R) and Empathy Quotient (EQ). Brain Res. 1079(1): 47-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2006.01.012 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16473340/
Hoekstra RA, Bartels M, Cath DC, Boomsma DI (2008). Factor structure, reliability and criterion validity of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): a study in Dutch population and patient groups. J Autism Dev Disord. 38(8): 1555-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0538-x https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16473340/