What is Spectrum Check?
Spectrum Check is a free autism traits test for adults. It asks 20 questions about how you handle conversation, change, noise, emotions and energy today, plus two about your childhood, and counts how many of your answers lean toward autistic traits. You get a score out of 20, your strongest trait areas, a personality archetype, and plain next steps.
It's built for adults who grew up before autism screening was common, or who learned to hide their traits so well that nobody noticed, including themselves.
How to use the test
- Pick your vibe and age. The tone changes the jokes, never the score.
- Answer 10 questions about everyday life. Go with your first instinct about how you usually are, not how you act on your best day.
- Answer 10 about feelings, energy and childhood. If you're unsure about childhood, think about what family members have told you.
- Read your result, then share it. If your score is high, use the appointment summary to start a conversation with a doctor.
What the questions look at
Social communication
Small talk, groups, eye contact, taking things literallyReading people
Picking up on feelings, hints and boredomRoutines & change
Sameness, surprises, switching tasksFocused interests
Deep interests, detail, noticing patternsSensory
Sound, light, texture, crowdsMasking
Copying others, scripting conversationsBurnout & recovery
Social exhaustion, needing time aloneNaming emotions
Knowing and describing what you feelLooking back
What you were like as a child, which a diagnosis requiresHow we score it
Each answer that leans toward an autistic trait adds one point. Some statements count when you agree ("Small talk drains me") and some when you disagree ("Eye contact feels natural"), which stops people from scoring high just by agreeing with everything. 0 to 7 is the few-traits range, 8 to 11 is some traits, and 12 or more is many traits.
The questions are original to this site and modeled on the areas covered by research screeners like the AQ-10 and RAADS-R. They have not been validated in a clinical study, so treat your score as a rough signal. Even validated screeners miss: in one study of adults referred to an autism clinic, popular questionnaires correctly flagged about 80% of autistic patients but also flagged about half of those who turned out not to be autistic.
Frequently asked questions
Can an online test tell me if I'm autistic?
No. Only a qualified clinician can diagnose autism, usually through interviews, questionnaires and your developmental history. A test like this tells you whether an assessment might be worth pursuing.
How accurate is this test?
It hasn't been clinically validated. It covers the same trait areas as research tools, but even those misclassify a lot of people, especially adults who mask or who have anxiety or ADHD.
Can adults be diagnosed with autism?
Yes. Adults of any age can be assessed. CDC estimates about 2.2% of U.S. adults are autistic, and many were never identified in childhood.
Why are women diagnosed later?
Boys are identified about 3.4 times as often as girls in childhood. Women and girls are more likely to mask, and their traits are often attributed to anxiety, shyness or depression first.
What is masking?
Masking means hiding or managing autistic traits to fit in: rehearsing conversations, copying others, forcing eye contact. It's exhausting over time and can make traits hard to spot, even on tests.
Do you save my answers?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you answer is sent to us or anyone else.
Does the savage mode make fun of autistic people?
No. Savage mode roasts relatable habits, like rehearsing a pizza order, never autism or autistic people. The score is identical in every tone.
More tests
Masking Meter
How much energy do you spend fitting in?Social Battery Test
How long until you need to go home?AuDHD Check
Autism and ADHD traits side by sideSources
- Dietz et al., CDC, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2020: 2.2% of U.S. adults, about 5.4 million.
- CDC ADDM Network, MMWR April 2025 (2022 data): 3.4 boys identified per girl.
- Allison, Auyeung & Baron-Cohen, JAACAP 2012: AQ-10 short screeners.
- Sizoo et al., Autism 2015: accuracy of AQ-10, AQ-28 and RAADS-R in adults referred to clinics.
- American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 (2013): sensory differences added to autism criteria.