Here's an interesting facebook test

[Nerval]

If you're on facebook, I just found a little test here to identify whether you have any autistic/asperger's tendencies.

It says

This is a serious scientific questionnaire and not a "silly quiz".
It is a genuine scientific tool

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge's Autism Research Centre have created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), as a measure of autistic traits in adults. The average score from a control group was 16.4, and 80% of those with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher You can read more about it on Wikipedia and the work of the Autism Research Centre at www.autismresearchcentre.com.
This is not a diagnostic tool

Many people who score above 32 and who meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's have no difficulty in functioning in their everyday lives. A high score on the AQ Test is not by itself diagnostic. If you have concerns that predate taking this test, it's best to discuss this with your family doctor. The reason for its use on Facebook is to raise awareness of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and to demonstrate the complexity of the issue.

Don't know how scientifically valid it is, but I like tests like this, and it seemed to get me right.

Have a go and let's know how you get on

[Stringent]

Related to Sacha Baron Cohen?

[Steve]

I'm a programmer, therefore I am autistic. I need no test to determine this.

[scaryjim]

It is, unfortunately, largely rubbish, since I have friends with diagnosed ASDs getting lowish scores and "neurotypical" friends getting higher scores. You can't make a scientific assessment (or medical diagnosis) on a single-instance self-reported test. At the very best it will tell you if, at the time you take the test, you are claiming to exhibit certain behaviours that would be typical of an ASD.

Let's just examine the claims for a minute shall we? 80% of people with a diagnosed ASD score higher than 32. So 20% of people with a diagnosed ASD score less than 32. And we aren't given a mean score for this group, which could easily be below 32. We aren't even told what the range of possible scores is, or the range of scores from the control group. We certainly aren't told whether there's a statistically signifcant difference between the scores in the control group and the scores in the ASD group. And this doesn't preclude the possibility of undiagnosed ASD in the control group or incorrect diagnosis in the ASD group. I could go on...

That isn't to say that the research, and the test, aren't genuine, but most people won't even stop to question it. They'll automatically assume that it is related to a genuine scientific research project which makes it infallible, and they'll trust the result. Which means doctors will suddenly be flooded with people claiming to be autistic who'd never have considered the possibility before taking this test. Because, frankly, people *are* that dumb.

Personally, I'm well aware that I almost certainly have a diagnosable ASD. But having a name to attach to any problems I have won't make those problems go away. So frankly I may as well just try to deal with what I am.

[Englander]

Yea I remember doing this test a while ago, I managed to score higher than most autistic people so I do question its validity!