Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey all, Dylan here (can’t seem to change name on profile)
Does anyone else find the online autism tests infuriating?
I haven’t been diagnosed as autistic, but think there’s a chance I am and trying to get an assessment. The problem is I keep doubting myself and think I’m just imagining things, even though I was right about being ADHD and OCD, though I was stunned when I got the dyslexia diagnosis.
One problem is the online autism screening test. I find them frustrating and feel the questions and options for answers don’t allow me to express my experience.
There’s one in particular, the Autism Spectrum quotidian (AQ) that drives me crazy. It’s the one I get guided to a lot and told it’s a good basic screener. The trouble is I find the questions frustrating and are impossible to answer in the format provided. Nearly every question is dependent on how I’m feeling that day and the answers don’t reflect the complexity.
For example, the first question is ‘I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.’ I don’t feel I can answer that int he agree/disagree model. It depended on the activity ad how I’m feeling. I generally prefer to do things on my own, but there are some things I’m Ok with doing with others. I went to the ballet this evening on my own, which was great, but I’m fine going with people too. If I’m going for a meal then being with people is enjoyable, but I’m fine eating alone too and sometimes prefer it. Also, my ADHD masks a lot of the anxiety I feel being with other people, so it isn’t a straight forward question.
The question I find the most frustrating is if if a prefer going to a library than a party. It completely depends. I love to read and write, the things you’d do at a library, but I don’t like libraries because I have to sit still and don’t feel comfortable sitting at tables for long periods of time, and instead I read at home. As for parties, I’m OK going for a little while, but it doesn’t take long before I want to be on my own again, and it can be exhausting to be social. So I don’t really like either much, but prefer one over the other if I’m in a certain mood, but there’s no answer that reflects this and I can’t give an accurate answer. I could name almost any question that this applies to, and feel if there was more nuance it’d be easier to answer. As a result I get a score that says I’m unlikely to be autistic when I don’t feel it’s an accurate reflection of my experience. Or sometimes tests say I’m likely autistic because the questions were different. So which is it?
I really don’t know how to get a handle on my feelings on the chance I’m autistic, and these screeners don’t help. Does anyone else feel this way or have advice? Is there an online test that is a bit clearer?
thanks
It’s yet another reason why these tests must always be carried out in person by trained professionals, never online, not even via Zoom or similar
If I were to tweak the autism tests, I would add a box for "it depends" and another big box to explain your answer if you want to. The results would not so much be based on the actual answers, but on how much the person had written to explain their answer! I feel that NTs would not bother to explain their answer while us autists would write long essays
Both the AQ and RAADS-R tests were originally published in peer reviewed journals, so they are the product of academic scholarship, rather than online dilettantes. They both have problems, but the RAADS-R claims something like 97% success in differentiating autistic from non-autistic adults.
I’ve not delved into the area of online based autism tests, even though it involved filling in a form in 2019 and having a Zoom call to do my autism assessment in 2021, the results sent to me via email, but given my experience with other types of online stuff on various other things, I’m getting the sense (gut instinct) that they are inaccurate - and I also feel that with the growth of AI, this is going to become more of a problem - I really believe that putting everything online is a bad idea if there are no other ways to interact in person, even via Zoom - I’ve often wondered why some people were so determined to push me towards a diagnosis in 2019 and what their real agendas, if any, really was - I’ve seen some of these trashy entertainment type online stuff well before 2019 and the results were always wildly inaccurate
You are so welcome!
Thank you!
Hi. You may also be interested in taking the monotropism test. It is not an autism test but it may help you understand yourself and discover if you are autistic as many autistic people are monotropic.
Here is a link to the test and more information about monotropism:
https://dlcincluded.github.io/MQ/
https://monotropism.org/
I found the tests themselves which were done at home (Paperwork) were not that stressful. I was more stressed that I had crossed things out to pick a different answer and that the test paper itself started to look a mess. The actual test itself was ok. I did wait until I was in the right frame of mind to do it though. I did phone asking for another testpaper but they said it will be fine. As long as they see my answers it will be ok... Which was a relief.
The occasional question I had to read a few times as it was worded as a double double negative so I had to work out which way round to answer! I didn't mind that bit so much. (I mean the test). It was the not knowing and waiting to find out when the next bit is... The gaps inbetween various bits of the assessment and the waiting for the assessment is where I was sressed. Once it was over I was relieved. The unknown....
See above - the RAADS-R test.
Hi Dylan,
I'm having a very similar experience at the moment. I recently tried to explore this avenue with my GP, and did the AQ test, but didn't score high enough to get referred for an assessment on the NHS. However, like you, I don't feel like the questions are representative of my experience and the difficulties I'm having. Generally, I can do well in social situations, as I'm good at reading people's faces, following convos, and working out intentions - though I do still struggle with things like eye contact and keeping conversations going, I have to force myself to do it. The main ways I think autism presents in my life is through intent interests, preferring to spend time alone, slightly OCD routines, and a loooot of anxiety, especially around scheduling and change in routine. I feel overwhelmed a lot of the time too.
I'm also at a bit of a loss on what to do next, but I'm definitely not ready to give up on the idea that autism might be the explanation behind all this. It just seems to fit, and explains events and reactions I've had in the past too.
If you learn about a different test, please let me know!!
The RAADS-R test - it also has problems - is probably the best metrically for distinguishing autistic from allistic. These tests have lots of questions, meaning that individual answers are not all that important. You are, I think that you must recognise it yourself, overthinking to an extent that is deleterious. Yes, some of the questions are ambiguous or badly phrased, some are mood dependent, but it is the overall score that reflects autistic status, not the answer to an individual question.
I was diagnosed with AuDHD a while ago and I found the assessment tests and questions very daunting and stressful. I've done online tests since whenever I doubt my diagnosis which happens for some reason and I find those really stressful as well.
I have fairly recently been assessed, and yes! Many questions one can truthfully answer in more than one way, but the assessors are ready for this. Don't worry. They have ways to get to the truth.