ASSQ
Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
The ASSQ is a screening tool designed to identify the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents. It is usually completed by parents or teachers who know the child well. It helps detect early signs suggestive of ASD in order to guide referral for a comprehensive assessment.
- Number of questions
- 27 questions
- Estimated duration
- 6 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire
- Target audience
- Children, adolescents
- Authors
- Ehlers, S., Gillberg, C., & Wing, L (1999)
- Category
- Autism spectrum, Childhood
Preview of the 27 questions
Scoring & interpretation
Each item is rated on a scale of 0 (does not apply), 1 (applies to some extent), or 2 (definitely applies). The total score (0-54) is obtained by adding up the responses.
Interpretation of the total score:
- 0-10: Not significant
- 11-18: Moderately consistent with ASD; developmental differences are present, which may reflect ASD or other conditions (ADHD, behavioral disorders)
- 19-54: Strongly consistent with ASD; significant differences in social and behavioral functioning
Subscales (Junttila et al., 2023):
Four subscales help identify the most prominent areas:
- Formal style (items 1, 2, 6): formal/old-fashioned style of thinking, appearance, or communication
- Contextual understanding and routines (items 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 23, 24): difficulty understanding context and preference for routines
- Socio-emotional reciprocity (items 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25): engagement in social interactions and emotional exchanges
- Vocalization, movement, and appearance (items 3, 8, 9, 14, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27): atypical vocalizations, motor behaviors, and physical characteristics
The subscale cutoffs are derived from the total score cutoffs divided by 27 items:
- Mean score ≥ 0.41 (11/27): Moderate
- Mean score ≥ 0.70 (19/27): High
A high score suggests an increased likelihood of ASD, but the score alone is not sufficient for a formal diagnosis.
Available alternatives
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