Autism Spectrum Quotient

Autism Spectrum Quotient

The Autism Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, is a questionnaire published in 2001 by Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, UK. Consisting of fifty questions, it aims to investigate whether adults of average intelligence have symptoms of autism or one of the other autism spectrum conditions. More recently, versions of the AQ for children and adolescents have also been published.

The test was popularised by Wired in December 2001 when published alongside their article, "The Geek Syndrome". It is commonly used for self diagnosis of Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism, although it is not intended to be a diagnostic test.