Child & Teen Autism Test: Screen Autistic Traits in Your Child or Teen

Autism or ADHD: why children often show traits of both

The Child & Teen Autism Test organizes parent observations of social communication, repeated behaviors, and sensory responses. It cannot determine whether a child is autistic. It is common for parents to wonder whether they are watching for autism or ADHD, because several traits look similar from the outside: trouble with transitions, intense focus on a preferred activity, or trouble reading the room in a fast-moving conversation. Autism traits center on social communication, restricted interests, and sensory response, while ADHD traits center on attention, impulsivity, and activity level.

Plenty of children show traits of both, sometimes described as AuDHD, and a professional finding one does not rule out the other. If what you are noticing includes a lot of inattention, impulsivity, or restlessness alongside the social and sensory patterns this screening asks about, the Child ADHD Test (Parent Report) or the AuDHD Test (Autism + ADHD) can help you sort out what to bring to your child's pediatrician.

What to do after this screening

If your result suggests some or many traits, the most useful next step is usually a conversation with your child's pediatrician, not repeating this screening. A developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, or psychiatrist can carry out a full evaluation, often across more than one visit, using history, direct observation, and input from people who know your child well.

While you wait for that appointment, it can help to look more closely at specific pieces of the picture. The Sensory Processing Test focuses on sound, light, texture, and touch sensitivity, and can add useful detail if the sensory questions above stood out to you. If your child is older or you suspect they are working hard to hide their differences around others, the Autism Masking Test (CAT-Q) looks at that pattern directly, since masking is common in girls in particular. A tool like Calm Down Corner can also give your child a concrete way to handle sensory overwhelm at home while you sort out next steps. When you are ready to look for support, the Psychology.com therapist directory lets you search for child therapists and clinicians experienced with autism and neurodivergence, free and with no account needed.

Bring examples of what your child finds difficult and what helps, along with questions they want answered. Describe differences between home and school without deciding which account is correct. CDC guidance recommends sharing developmental concerns with a healthcare professional and explains that a fuller evaluation draws on history, observation, and caregiver information. The Psychology.com tests hub can help you find the screenings mentioned here.

Check the intended age group and respondent before using any related screening. An adult self-report questionnaire should not be completed by a parent as though it were validated for their child. Related pages can introduce topics to discuss, but their scores cannot be combined with this result. Ask your child's clinician which parent, teacher, or self-report measures fit their developmental stage and communication needs.

Keep observations specific: describe what happened before a difficult transition, how your child communicated discomfort, and which support helped. Include activities they enjoy and settings where they feel comfortable. When possible, ask your child what felt hard instead of relying only on how the situation looked. You can bring their words or preferred way of communicating to the appointment alongside your own observations.

Is this child autism test the same as the SCQ or AQ-Child?

This page is an educational screening informed by those instruments. Its wording, grouping, and result ranges belong to this website adaptation. Research on the original SCQ or AQ-Child does not establish the accuracy of this version, and its result should not be interpreted using their published cutoffs. Ask an evaluator which age-appropriate measure they recommend for your child.

An uncertain answer can leave an important concern underrepresented in the result. Write down what you could not answer and ask someone who knows your child in another setting for an example. Bring those uncertainties to an evaluation along with the score.

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.

Independent research on the SCQ has generally found it a reasonable initial screener, meaning it identifies most children who go on to receive an autism diagnosis, though like any brief parent-report tool it works best alongside clinical judgment rather than in place of it (Chesnut et al., 2017).

The source instruments provide background for this adaptation, rather than validation of its scoring bands. This page does not provide a measured sensitivity or specificity for its own questions. CDC distinguishes brief developmental screening from the more detailed assessment used to make a diagnosis.

Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW
Reviewed the parent-report item selection, the trait categories, and the interpretation language for accuracy and an affirming, non-pathologizing tone. Last reviewed September 16, 2026.

References

1. Rutter M, Bailey A, Lord C. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) Manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services; 2003.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Lord C, Elsabbagh M, Baird G, Veenstra-Vanderweele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Lancet. 2018;392(10146):508-520.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder. cdc.gov/autism/diagnosis/index.html

Child & Teen Autism Test FAQ