Child & Teen Autism Test
A confidential parent-report screening for autistic traits in children and teens, informed by the Social Communication Questionnaire and the Child Autism Spectrum Quotient. You answer about your child, get an instant plain-language result framed through an affirming lens, and a professional PDF you can bring to a pediatrician or specialist. This is a screening, not a diagnosis.
Child & Teen Autism Test is a free, confidential 16-question self-assessment, informed by the SCQ & AQ-Child. It takes about 4 minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and gives you a plain-language score across 3 interpretation bands plus a downloadable PDF report. It is an educational screening, not a diagnosis.
What you are noticing, organized into what specialists look at
Autistic traits show up across a few connected areas. This screening groups your observations the way clinical instruments do, so the result is easier to read and more useful to bring to an evaluation. Being autistic is a different way a brain works, not something broken.
Communication & interaction
How your child connects: eye contact, sharing interests, back-and-forth conversation, reading social cues, and play or friendships with peers. The area the SCQ weighs most heavily.
Repetitive behaviors & interests
Repeated movements, strong routines, intense focused interests, lining up or ordering things, and distress when plans change. Common and often a source of real joy and skill.
Sensory & flexibility
How your child responds to sound, light, texture, taste, and touch, and how they handle transitions and the unexpected. A piece older screeners missed that matters a lot day to day.
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Informed by validated tools (SCQ, AQ-Child) | Sometimes | Yes |
| Parent-report, child and teen focused | Often adult items | Yes, age-appropriate |
| Sensory and flexibility items | Rarely | Yes |
| Affirming, non-pathologizing language | No | Throughout |
| Clear next step (evaluation pathway) | No | Yes |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
How scoring works
Answers are scored 0–16 in total. Your result falls into one of 3 bands:
| Score | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Few autistic traits reported | Based on your answers, your child shows few of the traits this screening looks at. That is useful context, though it does not settle the question on its own. |
| 6–10 | Some autistic traits reported | Based on your answers, your child shows some of the traits this screening looks at. This is a reasonable point to start a conversation with a professional. |
| 11–16 | Many autistic traits (consider an evaluation) | Based on your answers, your child shows many of the traits this screening looks at. Consider arranging a formal evaluation with a specialist. |
Methodology & sources
This screening is informed by two established parent-report measures. The structure and content draw on the Social Communication Questionnaire (Rutter, Bailey & Lord, 2003), a widely used 40-item parent screener for autism that focuses on social communication, reciprocal interaction, and restricted or repetitive behavior. The trait framing also draws on the Child Autism Spectrum Quotient (Auyeung, Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright & Allison, 2008), which adapted the adult AQ for parents to complete about children aged 4 to 11. Items are grouped into social communication and interaction, repetitive behaviors and interests, and sensory and flexibility, with each yes or agree response pointing in the autistic-trait direction. Wording is age-appropriate and lightly adapted for readability while keeping the meaning of the source instruments.
This is a parent screening for education and reflection, not a diagnosis. A formal autism evaluation is carried out by a qualified specialist, such as a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, or psychiatrist, using a structured developmental history, direct observation, and information from people who know your child well. A screening like this cannot replace that process, but it can help you decide whether to seek one, and it gives you organized notes to bring. We present results in affirming, strengths-aware language because autism is a difference in neurology, not a deficit.
References
- Rutter M, Bailey A, Lord C. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) Manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services; 2003.
- Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Allison C. The Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children's Version (AQ-Child). J Autism Dev Disord. 2008;38(7):1230–1240.
- Chesnut SR, Wei T, Barnard-Brak L, Richman DM. A meta-analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire: Screening for autism spectrum disorder. Autism. 2017;21(8):920–928.
- Lord C, Elsabbagh M, Baird G, Veenstra-Vanderweele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Lancet. 2018;392(10146):508–520.
Child & Teen Autism Test FAQ
What is a child autism screening?
It is a short questionnaire a parent or caregiver completes about their child, looking at social communication, repetitive behaviors and interests, and sensory responses. This one is informed by the SCQ and the AQ-Child. It helps you decide whether a full evaluation is worth pursuing. It is a screening, not a diagnosis.
What do the result ranges mean?
Results sort into few, some, or many autistic traits. Many traits does not mean your child is autistic; it means a fuller evaluation by a specialist could give you a clear answer. Few traits does not rule autism out either, especially in children who mask or who are girls, since traits can present more subtly.
Can this test diagnose my child?
No. Only a qualified specialist, such as a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, or psychiatrist, can diagnose autism, using a developmental history, direct observation, and input from people who know your child. This screening organizes what you are noticing so you can bring it to that conversation.
My child seems social, could they still be autistic?
Yes. Autism looks different from child to child. Many autistic children are affectionate, make eye contact, or make friends, and some learn to mask traits to fit in. Social skill does not rule it out. If you have a gut sense worth checking, a specialist can help.
Is being autistic something to fix?
Autism is a neurotype, a different way of sensing, thinking, and connecting, with real strengths alongside challenges. The goal of an evaluation is understanding and support that fits your child, not fixing who they are. Early understanding helps families and schools meet a child where they are.
Is the test really confidential?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server, never stored, and never linked to you or your child. No account is needed, and the optional PDF is generated on your own device.
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