The Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children's Version (AQ-Child)

J Autism Dev Disord. 2008 Aug;38(7):1230-40. doi: 10.1007/s10803-007-0504-z. Epub 2007 Dec 7.

Abstract

The Autism Spectrum Quotient-Children's Version (AQ-Child) is a parent-report questionnaire that aims to quantify autistic traits in children 4-11 years old. The range of scores on the AQ-Child is 0-150. It was administered to children with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) (n = 540) and a general population sample (n = 1,225). Results showed a significant difference in scores between those with an ASC diagnosis and the general population. Receiver-operating-characteristic analyses showed that using a cut-off score of 76, the AQ-Child has high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (95%). The AQ-Child showed good test-retest reliability and high internal consistency. Factor analysis provided support for four of the five AQ-Child design subscales. Future studies should evaluate how the AQ-C performs in population screening.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention
  • Autistic Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Communication
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imagination
  • Male
  • Personal Construct Theory
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Social Behavior
  • Stereotyped Behavior
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*