I am so excited about this post. I’ve had it in mind for a while and finally sat down to compile all of these resources. Selfishly, I’m excited, because I get this question a lot and it will be a lot easier to send people to one link than send people to 10 different websites! So here is a round-up of some of my favorite free, online ADHD and autism assessments.
First, As a disclaimer, any one instrument should be seen as ONE data point and doesn’t substitute medical evaluation. This post is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice.
Table of Contents
ADHD Screeners
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot out there (compared to autism). But here are two I regularly use:
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS)
This is a basic screener for ADHD. When screened positive it is recommended you follow up with a medical provider to see if undiagnosed ADHD may be present (note there are other conditions that may cause a “false” positive on the ASRS).
Link: https://psychology-tools.com/test/adult-adhd-self-report-scale
The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)
This is NOT specifically a screener for ADHD, however, it does measure various elements of impulsivity which is often present for ADHDers. I like this instrument as it breaks a person’s impulsivity down into different areas.
Autism Quotient (AQ)
A standard screener for Autism (I regularly include this in all assessments, even ADHD, given the high overlap of Autism and ADHD traits).
Link: https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient
Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Condition (GQ-ASC)
So excited about this one! Finally, an Autism assessment normed off of girls and non-binary people!
The Ritvo Autism Asperger's Diagnostic Scale (RAADS)
The RAADS is designed to identify adult autists who may have previously “escaped diagnosis” by focusing more on subjective experiences than outward behaviors.
Link: https://www.aspietests.org (and then click on the link for the RAADS, you will need to fill out demographics information before you can complete the assessment).
Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)
This is more specifically an assessment for high-masking Autism (however, I’ve been curious how high-masking ADHDers score on this one!). This is one of my favorite assessments for autism given it’s ability to capture masking/camouflaging!
The Aspie Quiz
I love the Aspie quiz! (Partly I like the visualized diagram that shows Allistic vs. Autistic traits)
Adult Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2)
I really like this assessment, as it does a great job capturing experiences related to repetition. You have to hand score this one, so it is a bit more tedious than the others on this list.
Alexithymia Questionnaire
The Alexithymia Questionnaire is not an autism screener. However, many autistic people have Alexithymia, so this can be a helpful screener. Again, I appreciate how it breaks results up into different categories (many may be Alexithymic in some areas but not in others).
Follow-Up Resources
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