Online Autism Spectrum Tests

Autism spectrum disorder can be assessed with certain online screening tests. They can help you evaluate autism traits in yourself, a child, teenager, or another adult. These tests can't confirm a diagnosis on their own. Even a high score doesn't necessarily mean you have autism.

However, online autism screening test results can help you decide whether you should ask a healthcare provider about being formally evaluated. These tests generally include 50 questions or fewer and can be completed in a few minutes, with results usually given as a number out of the total number possible (such as 51 out of 86).

This article will help you to learn about online autism test options and the research behind them. It explains the next steps if it seems you may, indeed, have autistic traits.

What Online Autism Tests Can Tell You

Autism is a disorder that has no established biological markers, such as those a blood test might reveal. As a result, it can only be diagnosed by a healthcare practitioner through observation and interviews.

Major researchers and institutions have also developed online screening tools based on observations by parents or adults who suspect autism in their children or in themselves.

These tests can't diagnose autism, but they can help determine whether or not you have autism traits and, if so, how intense they are.

You can use online autism tests to:

• Quickly get a clearer understanding of what autism traits look like
• Answer questions to help you determine whether there are red flags for autism
• Decide whether to seek professional autism screening and evaluation

Who Might Take an Online Autism Test

Some traits in yourself or your child may indicate autism with low support needs. If you recognize any of them, you may want to take an online autism test and discuss the results with your healthcare provider. These traits include:

• Challenges with conversation
• Difficulty understanding body language and facial expressions
• Sensory sensitivity, such as disliking loud noises or the feeling of a certain clothing item
• "Stimming" behaviors, such as rocking back and forth, pacing, or humming
• Repetitive behavior such as opening and closing drawers or lining up objects
• Strongly held interests in a small number of subjects

These traits occur regardless of age. 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.

Online Autism 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 could have an autism spectrum disorder.

The Adult Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire (RBQ-2A)

The Adult Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire was developed by researchers in Wales and is the best-researched tool of its kind. It can be downloaded from the Newcastle University website.

Note that the researchers use the survey results to further their study of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. A shorter quiz based on this research can be found at the Exceptional Individuals website.

Some of the questions on this test include:

• (Do you) pace or move around repetitively?
• (Do you) make repetitive hand and/or finger movements?
• (Do you) have a special interest in the feel of different surfaces?
• (Do you) collect or hoard items of any sort?
  

The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) Test

The Autism Spectrum Quotient test was developed by well-known researcher Simon Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge in England. This test has been researched and found to be moderately accurate, even in its short 12-question version. It is available online in a variety of locations, including Embrace Autism.

The AQ test asks a total of 50 questions, each with four possible answers of "definitely agree," "slightly agree," "slightly disagree, and "definitely disagree." Although the questions are written in the first person, they can be applied to either yourself or someone you know.

Here are a few questions from the Autism Spectrum Quotient Test:

• 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.
  

Online Autism Tests for Children

Most of the time, autism is diagnosed in children under the age of 3. Thus, most online tests, quizzes, and observations are designed for young children—and, of course, must be filled out by their caregiver(s).

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, each of which are described below.

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-R/F (M-CHAT-R/F) 

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers is the most frequently used test for autism screening in this age group. It's a 20-item, caregiver-completed checklist with yes/no questions about early autism traits, including:

• If you point at something across the room, does your child look at it?
• When you smile at your child, does he or she smile back at you? 
• Does your child look you in the eye when you are talking to him or her, playing with him or her, or dressing him or her?
• Does your child try to get you to watch him or her?
  

The Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC)

If the M-CHAT seems to confirm your concerns, you can also look at other related tests, such as the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC): Parent's Observations of Social Interactions (POSI).

This test was designed to assess children under the age of 5. It takes about 15 minutes to complete and looks at three different areas: developmental, emotional/behavioral, and family risk factors.

There are between 33 and 40 questions, depending on the age of the child. Some questions include:

• Does your child have a hard time being with new people?
• Is it hard to keep your child on a schedule or routine?
• Does your child have a hard time calming down? 
• Does your child have a hard time with change? 

The Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire (RBQ)

The Repetitive Behaviour Questionnaire (RBQ) is a 33-item caregiver questionnaire designed to measure children's repetitive behaviors. It was developed by Dr. Michelle Turner at Cambridge University.

Like the adult RBQ listed above, it's a validated online tool for identifying one common trait of autism: repetitive behaviors. You can find links to all the RBQ tests online.

Some example questions include:

• Does he/she arrange toys or other items in rows or patterns?
  
• Does he/she touch parts of his/her body or clothing repeatedly?
  
• Does he/she rock backwards and forwards, or side to side, either when sitting or when standing?
  
• Does he/she ever injure him/herself?

The Online Developmental Screening Study

The prestigious MIND Institute at the University of California at Davis has developed an Online Developmental Screening Study. The project involves multiple video-based doctor visits and observations and pays participants to be part of the study.

What to Do If Autism Test Results Are Positive

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. While it is possible to complete quizzes and tests at home, you may answer incorrectly if you don't have the knowledge or experience to understand what the normal range of child development or adult behavior looks like.

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.

Next Steps For Adults

If you believe you may be an autistic adult, you may have already found ways to compensate for or take advantage of your autism traits.

If you have challenges, however, you may wish to find a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker who has specific experience working with autistic adults. You may also want an official diagnosis if you are having trouble holding down a job and want to apply for benefits (like Social Security) as a disabled individual.

Next Steps for Children

If you suspect you have an autistic infant or child, start with a trip to the pediatrician and ask for an autism evaluation. If the pediatrician can't or won't provide an evaluation, consider reaching out to a local children's hospital or autism clinic.

Ideally, your child will be evaluated by a team that includes a developmental pediatrician or neurologist, a speech therapist, and an occupational therapist. A complete assessment will evaluate your child's social and language skills, cognitive development, and ability to complete daily tasks independently.  

Disorders 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 diagnosing you or your child with autism:

• A child may not turn to you when you speak or respond to their name because they are hard of hearing.
• There are many reasons children may be late talkers; these include hearing issues, apraxia of speech, and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Those with a sensory processing disorder may have sensory dysfunction (overreacting or underreacting to light, sound, pain, etc.) without having autism.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and several other neurodevelopmental disorders may look quite similar to autism with low support needs. It can be hard for a nonexpert to tell the difference in some cases.
• Some autistic people with low support needs may test negative for autism in online tests but still be diagnosable by experts.
  

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.