how reliable is the AQ 50 test?

The test score is an indication.  I also scored maximum points when doing the test.

You should bear in mind that there are only two scores for each question.  The 'slightly' scores the same as the 'definitely' so with the binary nature it is quite possible that the score can be biased to the extremes in certain individuals.  It is not really a test of how you may be affected in your abilities, more a test of how autism affects your behaviour.

If you are worried about the extreme nature of the score, just mention you scored in the forties, no need to be more specific.  You could also do the test on several occasions over a couple of weeks, you may find it varies a bit.  You could also ask someone else to do the test as if they were you to find how others perceive you, this won't show masking effects but others who know you well will definitely realise a lot of behavioural traits you have.  

Above all though, you will either have to pluck up the courage to give what evidence you can, or keep worrying about what might have been.

As others have suggested, see your GP and write some notes to support your case (Your GP will forward these on to your referral).It will be the start of a long wait though (I went private and it still took 8 months from getting referred and getting a diagnosis, although I saw a Psychiatrist first because Autism/Aspergers wasn't even considered). I think through the NHS it can take a year, just for an initial appointment but the sooner the put the wheels in motion, the better :) 

The official guidelines about being referred for assessment include a cut-down version of the AQ50 (which uses only 10 questions) so it is absolutely considered as valid as an indicator for referral, though as you know, it's not enough for diagnosis on its own. If you are worried about your score of 49 on the AQ50 sounding too high, you could refer to the NICE guidelines and just tell the doctor what your score was on the AQ10. If you haven't already, read this page about autism diagnosis for adults - https://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/adults.aspx - and think about having a few notes of some of the examples it suggests in step 2 as well as the AQ score.

If your GP is decent, they will listen to you and take you seriously. If they don't, then try a different GP. Fortunately I have a good relationship with a GP at my practice who has seen me over a number of years and she was wholly supportive when we talked about referral.

The assessment team that you are referred to might take various approaches... my experience was negative, but that doesn't mean yours will be as they all seem to do things quite differently. But be prepared to be persistent if you decide you want to take this route. Assessment teams often want lots of information in the referral and GPs don't necessarily fill in referral forms in as much detail as the assessors might want.

For me, diagnosis has been really important (I ended up going private for my assessment, because I could afford to and I wanted to get it done rather than wait for ages). My previous treatment for depression and anxiety didn't really work as well as it should have done because it didn't take my autism into account. Talking therapies usually need to be adapted in some way to be properly effective for autistic people. Also, some things that might be viewed as a problem to be resolved might turn out to be a difference due to autism. Although there may not be autism-specific services for mental health difficulties, the regular adult NHS mental health services should adapt what they do for autistic people (and I have got a therapist who is now adapting what they do because of my diagnosis). Other things that might be available to you with a diagnosis include Access to Work grants for equipment and training at work, and possibly other more generic disability services for things like employment and social support.

Hi Pixie,

Thank you for the book recomendations. I will give them a try.

Hi John,

I would agree that the questions might be better set. Had there been the option for "Neutral" rather than always having to at least give slightly one way or the other I think my score would have been lower.

A score of 32 or more is seen as an indication of autism/aspergers. Your doctor should refer you for a formal assessment/diagnosis if you request it, but there is usually a long wait. Your doctor may, like the one I saw, challenge why you think an autism diagnosis might help you, as there is not much support for adults. (my score was high too, I think 47) 

After recovering from the depression I was then experiencing and reading a lot about Autism, I decided not to go down the route of formal diagnosis, however I am able to work part time and it doesn't affect me much at the moment. Just learning about what autism is and why I behave and react like I do has been really beneficial. The doctor did agree to keep my test results on my records though, and said if things change later I can request a referral then.

There is a lot of information on this website and lots of books that can help you understand yourself. I found these two particularly useful: "Am I Autistic?" by Lydia Andal & " A field guide to Earthlings" by Ian Ford.

It does sound very high :) I am diagnosed and score in the low 40's (41 on my assessment).

Some questions are a bit vague, eg if my routine is altered, it will annoy me but hardly upset me. To me upset would imply a melt down??