Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10) Adolescent Version
Clinical intent
This workflow supports digital administration of the AQ-10 Adolescent Version as a brief autism trait screening questionnaire completed by a parent or caregiver for a young person aged 12-15 years. Its purpose is to identify individuals who may require formal specialist diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Target population
Young people aged 12-15 years with suspected ASD and without an established learning disability, where brief first-line triage is needed prior to specialist referral.
Method of use
The AQ-10 Adolescent is completed by a parent or caregiver. Each of the 10 items has four responses: "Definitely Agree", "Slightly Agree", "Slightly Disagree", and "Definitely Disagree".
Calculation
Each question contributes either 0 or 1 point. Total score range is 0 to 10.
- Items 1, 5, 8, and 10 score 1 point for "Definitely Agree" or "Slightly Agree".
- Items 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 score 1 point for "Slightly Disagree" or "Definitely Disagree".
Clinical interpretation
A total score of 6 or above supports consideration of referral for specialist autism diagnostic assessment (NICE CG142). The AQ-10 is a triage/screening tool and should not be used as a sole diagnostic instrument.
References
- NICE Clinical Guideline CG142: Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg142
- Allison C, Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S. Toward brief “Red Flags” for autism screening: the Short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Short Quantitative Checklist in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2012;51(2):202-212.
- Autism Research Centre (University of Cambridge), AQ-10 Adolescent.
Pathway
Form preview
Interactive preview of the questionnaire. Not for clinical use. Responses are not stored.