— The ultimate —
autism resource

Founded & autistically researched by:

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht MSc ND RP
& Eva Silvertant B.Des

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Do you think you might be autistic and/or ADHD?
Try the Autism Spectrum Quotient or the RAADS–R;
or the ASRS-5 for ADHD—they are the most widely used and empirically validated tests that can give an indication of whether you might be autistic or AuDHD

Autism Quotient

50 statements

The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is probably the most commonly used screening tool for autism. However, some of the items are a bit dated, in which case we provided corrections and supplementation to aid you in taking the test

RAADS–R

80 statements

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale–Revised (RAADS–R) was developed to identify autistic people who “escape diagnosis” due to subclinical presentations of autism (usually due to their ability to mask autistic proclivities)

ASRS-5

6 questions

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for DSM-5 (ASRS-5) is a self-report screening scale for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. It’s the updated version of the ASRS v1.1

You might also want to test how much you
mask your autistic traits, using the CAT-Q. Or try one
of autistic people’s favorite tests: the Aspie Quiz

CAT-Q

25 statements

The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire gives a measure of how much you camouflage your autistic proclivities. Note also that higher scores on the CAT-Q can also account for lower scores on other autism tests

Aspie Quiz

121 questions

The Aspie Quiz is less validated by research, but shows some significant correlations, and the diagram it generates contains valuable insights. Many autistic people consider the Aspie Quiz and the CAT-Q to be their favorite autism tests

Autism tests

Also, have a look at the various other tests on our Tests page

A joke with some truth to it:

The willingness to take all or a multitude
of tests may itself be indicative of autism.
We took quite a few of them, in any case

Strengths

Did you know that autistic people have certain abilities beyond the range experienced by neurotypicals?

Every superhero has their Kryptonite; similarly, some of our abilities have some drawbacks as well

Hello!

We are Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP, an autistic naturopathic doctor, registered psychotherapist, and an autism researcher with a Masters of Science in Applied Psychology (cum laude); and Eva Silvertant, an AuDHD, award-winning graphic designer, illustrator, type designer, and autism researcher, with a Masters
in Psychology in completion (2025)

You might call us an Autism Spectrum Duo!

Embrace Autism is our effort to bring you research
and experience-based autism content; to help you
better understand yourself, empower yourself, embrace
your advantages, and overcome your challenges

Look at the About page to learn more about
who we are and what our mission is

Explore our website and browse our blog
to start learning more about yourself
or your loved one!

Autism Spectrum Difference:

A neurodevelopmental difference characterized by alterations in social functioning, hypersensitivity to stimuli, repetitive behaviors, and deep interests—often combined with advanced cognitive & perceptive abilities

Q&A

What is autistic
savant syndrome?

Savant syndrome is a condition characterized by mental disabilities combined with exceptional abilities—usually related to memory. Although rare, a disproportionate 1 in 10 autistic people are savants! Read more

Is there a link between autism
and giftedness?

A link has been found between autism and high intelligence; estimated rates of intellectual giftedness in autistic children is 0.7–2%, compared to up to 1% in the general public. Some researchers regard autism as a “disorder of high intelligence.” Read more

Are autistic
females rare?

Autistic females are not actually rare. But since autism presents differently in females, many are misdiagnosed or remain undiagnosed. What was thought to be a 4:1 male-to-female ratio of autism, is now predicted to be closer to 2:1—possibly even 1:1! Read more

Do autistic people
lack empathy?

It is a damaging myth that autistic people lack empathy. We can be highly empathetic, but may not always sense the socially appropriate way to communicate it. Additionally, displays of empathy may be delayed until a situation is made salient to us. Read more

Why is routine important
to autistic people?

Routine provides a framework to make things controlled and manageable; it gives us something we can rely on in a predominantly unpredictable world. An interrupted routine can disrupt our entire schedule, as we have to reconsider/reassess everything. Read more

What is an autistic meltdown & shutdown?

When we are triggered by social stress, a meltdown can ensue, which can resemble a tantrum. A shutdown is a response to social triggers or sensory overload, after which the person becomes unresponsive, and has to rest in order to recharge. Read more

Embrace Autism

I can EMBRACE who I am

—

or I can REJECT who I am

I can see myself having SUPER POWERS

—

or I can see myself having SYMPTOMS

I can TAME my Kryptonites

—

or I can DROWN in my challenges

I can CHERISH my uniqueness

—

or DISOWN my peculiarities

I can UTILIZE my cognitive abilities

—

or let my sensitivities OVERPOWER me

I can see what is GREAT about who I am

—

or I can LOATHE who I am

How I choose to perceive myself
affects my life, other autistic people,
and people’s perceptions of autism.

Whatever I choose, I will still have autism. Therefore I choose to EMBRACE AUTISM, be a SUPERHERO, TAME, CHERISH, UTILIZE, and see what is GREAT about me.

Embrace Autism

I can EMBRACE who I am;
or I can REJECT who I am

I can see myself having STRENGTHS;
or I can see myself having SYMPTOMS

I can TAME my Kryptonites;
or I can DROWN in my challenges

I can CHERISH my uniqueness;
or DISOWN my peculiarities

I can UTILIZE my cognitive abilities;
or let my sensitivities OVERPOWER me

I can see what is GREAT about who I am;
or I can LOATHE who I am

How I choose to perceive myself affects my life, other autistic people, and people’s perceptions of autism.

Whatever I choose, I will still have autism. Therefore I choose to EMBRACE AUTISM, and TAME, CHERISH, UTILIZE, and see what is GREAT about me!

Highlights

Below is a selection of articles from our autism blog.
Have a read to get a taste of the content we offer!

Alexithymia

Alexithymia or emotional blindness is so common among autistics (40–70%) that
it’s commonly mistaken for autism itself.
Find out what alexithymia is and how it presents itself in autism. Read more

Overwhelm

Autistic people can get overwhelmed at times. Here I describe my experience of
3 types of overwhelm relating to autism:
a sensory overload, a meltdown,
and a shutdown. Read more

Meltdowns

To remain regulated and functioning,
we need to be able to dissipate stress.
When this is not done effectively, it can have an explosive result, leading to a meltdown
or a (consequent) shutdown. Read more