Home
About
Blog
Info hubs 
Autistic burnout
AuDHD
Autism strengths
Autism tests
Autism assessments
Store
Contact
In this article, we will explore more broadly what the RAADS–R measures, what it consists of, how to take the test, and how to interpret your score.
Why people take the RAADS–R
Many autistic adults come to the RAADS–R after years of feeling that something about their experience is different. Often, the search begins when:
- Someone close to them is diagnosed as autistic
- They start learning about autism to understand a friend, partner, child, or relative
- Social media starts showing autism-related content that feels unexpectedly familiar
- The strategies they used to manage life stop working
- Rest no longer feels restorative
- A clinician suggests autism as a possibility
What the RAADS–R actually measures
The RAADS–R is an 80-item self-report questionnaire designed to identify patterns of autistic traits in adults, especially those who may have been missed earlier in life due to masking, compensation, or non-stereotypical presentations.[1]The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): A Scale to Assist the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An International Validation Study (Ritvo et al., 2010)
The RAADS–R is designed around the core criteria used in the DSM-5-TR; specifically, it considers criteria A (social communication) and B (patterns and behaviours), using the following four domains:
1. Language (A1 & A2)
This reflects how you communicate and understand meaning, both verbally and nonverbally. It evaluates things like:
- How you use language in conversation
- Whether you tend to take things literally
- How easily you pick up on implied meaning, tone, or sarcasm
- How you understand facial expressions and gestures
This is about how you experience social interaction and relationships. It includes:
- Knowing what’s expected in different social situations
- Whether social interaction feels intuitive or effortful
- How conversations flow (e.g., turn-taking, sharing vs monologuing)
- How relationships develop and are maintained over time
3. Sensory & motor (B1 & B4)
This looks at stimming and sensory experiences. It includes:
- Stimming or repetitive movements (B1)
- Sensitivity to sound, light, touch, smell or other sensory input (B4)
- Feeling overwhelmed in certain environments
- Using movement to regulate
4. Circumscribed interests (B2 & B3)
This reflects patterns of focus, routine, and interest. It includes:
- Need for sameness, routine, or predictability (B2)
- Strong or highly focused interests (B3)
How to answer RAADS–R questions
One of the distinguishing features of the RAADS–R is that it asks about development—whether a trait was present earlier in life, or only currently.
Because autism is a lifelong neurotype, the test is trying to capture whether traits were there from a young age, not just how things feel right now. That’s why each item has four response options:
- True now and when I was young
- True now only
- True only when I was younger than 16
- Never true
Autistic experience of taking the RAADS–R
When talking with autistic adults about their experience of taking the RAADS–R, one of the most consistent patterns is difficulty interpreting some of the questions.
People often describe:
- Not being sure what the question is really asking
- Second-guessing their answers
- Trying to find the “correct” interpretation
When someone says they found the questions hard to interpret, that tends to align with autistic ways of processing, particularly around ambiguity and precision. “Does all really mean all?” “How much is some?”
This doesn’t mean difficulty interpreting the questions confirms autism. But it is a pattern that is seen more often in autistic individuals than in non-autistic ones. In contrast, non-autistic individuals are less likely to report this level of difficulty with interpreting the questions.
For many autistic people, tests like the RAADS-R require careful interpretation of each question. That effort—thinking through wording, context, and past experiences—can make the process feel mentally demanding.
Some new research also suggests that the RAADS–R format can be cognitively fatiguing for autistic individuals, especially across 80 items. Holding multiple timeframes in mind while answering can make responses less consistent. Because of that, some researchers are suggesting a simplified approach:[2]Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice (Sturm et al., 2024)
- If something is generally true, select “true now and when I was young.”
- If something is generally not true, select “never true.”
- Ignore the two middle options
This simplification reduces some detail about when traits first appeared, but it may improve consistency and make the test easier to complete accurately. We will have to see whether the authors will address the new findings and revise the RAADS–R to better cater to autistic cognition.
Please note: Embrace Autism uses all 4 answer options on their test. Sturm’s research is presented here for people to be aware of the challenges and potential future solutions.
How to interpret your score in context
What do my scores mean?
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Below 65 | Does not show a strong overall pattern of autistic traits, though some traits may still be present. |
| 65–105 | Some autistic traits are present, but not consistently. This range often overlaps with ADHD, anxiety, burnout, or masking. |
| 106–149 | Strong pattern of autistic traits that aligns with common autistic profiles. |
| 150+ | Very strong alignment with autistic traits. |
If you want a more detailed breakdown, you can explore the full RAADS-R page.
Please note: Research discussion only. Complete questionnaires exactly as validated. We do not recommend altering wording, response options, or scoring.
What the RAADS–R inadvertently captures
The RAADS–R is best understood as a measure of autistic-like traits, rather than autism itself. Research has shown that elevated RAADS–R scores can also occur in individuals with:
- ADHD
- Anxiety disorders
- Trauma-related conditions
- Other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric profiles
As a result, while the instrument demonstrates strong sensitivity to autistic traits, its specificity in differentiating autism from other conditions is more limited in clinical populations when we use 65 as a cutoff. Suggestions of 81, 106, or 119 as cutoffs have been shown to be more specific to autism.[3]The Effectiveness of RAADS-R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations (Jones et al., 2021)
In addition, diagnostic outcomes in these studies are dependent on clinician recognition, which may not always accurately identify autism—particularly in high-masking adults, women, or individuals with co-occurring conditions.
Clinical role
Within a diagnostic framework, the RAADS–R contributes to:
- Identifying patterns consistent with autistic traits
- Supporting clinical formulation
- Guiding further assessment and inquiry
However, it is not designed to function as a standalone diagnostic screener. Its results require integration with:
- Clinical interview
- Developmental history
- Collateral information
- Additional psychometric tools
This multi-method approach is essential to accurately interpret RAADS–R findings within the broader context of adult autism assessment.
Recent RAADS–R papers
Below are the 10 most relevant RAADS–R and RAADS-14 papers from 2021–2026, adding relevant information on their psychometric properties, clinical utility, cutoff thresholds, cross-cultural validation, and limitations as screening tools.
| Priority | Paper | What it added |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sturm et al. (2024) – Psychometric exploration of the RAADS–R with autistic adults | Most important recent paper. Supports RAADS–R/RAADS-14 use with diagnosed, self-identified, unsure, and non-autistic adults; found diagnostic and self-identified autistic adults responded similarly. The study also found that a person's age, gender, autism diagnosis, or whether an individual considered themselves to be autistic did not impact how they understood the survey. Survey accuracy could be improved by changing the number of question responses from four to two.[4]Psychometric exploration of the RAADS–R with autistic adults: Implications for research and clinical practice (Sturm et al., 2024) |
| 2 | Rausch et al. (2025) – German RAADS–R / RADS–R validation | Validated a German-language version and proposed an optimized cutoff around 81 rather than the older 65 threshold.[5]A novel screening instrument for the assessment of autism in German language: validation of the German version of the RAADS-R, the RADS-R (Rausch et al., 2025) |
| 3 | Hegarty et al. (2025) – RAADS-R clinical utility review / updated thresholds | Cutoff of 65 is too low Most clinical patients score above it → poor differentiation.[6]The Effectiveness of RAADS-R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations (Jones et al., 2021) Updated thresholds improve usefulness <65 (low), 65–105 (some traits), 106–139 (consistent), 140+ (pronounced) 81% sensitivity/specificity. Measures one trait dimension Subscales are descriptive, not independent. Highly reliable Strong internal consistency (α = 0.97). Response format has limitations Some options rarely used → simpler formats may improve accuracy. Aligns with other measures (AQ) Valid as a trait measure, not diagnostic. Requires clinical interpretation Influenced by insight, recall, masking, and distress. Higher scores in nonbinary individuals Important for gender-informed assessment.[7]A Review of the Clinical Utility and Psychometric Properties of the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale–Revised (RAADS–R): Updated Clinical Thresholds (Hegarty et al., 2025) |
| 4 | Jones et al. (2021) – Effectiveness of RAADS–R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations | Important cautionary paper: in a real NHS adult autism service sample, RAADS–R score did not predict who received an autism diagnosis when using 65 as a cutoff.[8]The Effectiveness of RAADS-R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations (Jones et al., 2021) |
| 5 | Picot et al. (2021) – French RAADS–R validation | Validated the French RAADS–R and contributed cross-cultural evidence for psychometric reliability/diagnostic accuracy.[9]The French Version of the Revised Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale: A Psychometric Validation and Diagnostic Accuracy Study (Picot et al., 2021) |
| 6 | Kember & Williams (2021) – RAADS-14 in Aotearoa/New Zealand | Found RAADS-14 had strong correlations with AQ-10/EQ-short, but concerns with factor structure and specificity; useful for cultural cautions.[10]Is the RAADS-14 a Valid Tool for a New Zealand Population? (Kember & Williams, 2021) |
| 7 | Folatti et al. (2024) – Autistic traits in young adult mental-health outpatients | Used AQ + RAADS–R in psychiatric outpatients; found 16.2% above cutoff on both, reduced to 13.13% using RAADS-R >119. Useful for psychiatric-population interpretation.[11]The Prevalence of Autistic Traits in a Sample of Young Adults Referred to a Generalized Mental Health Outpatient Clinic (Folatti, 2024) |
| 8 | Nisticò et al. (2024) – Autistic traits, sensory sensitivity, eating disturbances | Used RAADS–R in young mental-health outpatients; linked autistic traits and sensory sensitivity with eating disturbance risk.[12]Autistic traits, sensory sensitivity and eating disturbances in a sample of young adults referring to a generalized mental health clinic (Nisticò et al., 2024) |
| 9 | Ingrosso et al. (2024) – Sensory sensitivity, autistic traits, eating behaviours in adult women with eating disorders | Found RAADS–R autistic traits mediated links between sensory sensitivity and eating-disorder/autism-related eating behaviours. People with higher sensory sensitivity tended to have more autistic traits, which were linked to eating difficulties. This suggests autistic traits help connect sensory differences to eating patterns.[13]Exploring the links between sensory sensitivity, autistic traits and autism-related eating behaviours in a sample of adult women with eating disorders (Ingrosso et al., 2024) |
| 10 | Nisticò et al. (2022) – Functional neurological disorders and autism overlap | Used RAADS–R alongside AQ; found 19% of Functional neurological disorder (FND) patients scored above RAADS–R cutoff, while no FND patients scored above threshold in AQ, showing RAADS–R may flag traits in overlapping clinical groups.[14]Clinical overlap between functional neurological disorders and autism spectrum disorders: a preliminary study (Nisticò et al., 2022) |
More about the RAADS–R
Wondering what your score is? Take the RAADS–R below.
The RAADS–R
Want to know more about the research history behind this test? Read the foundational research overview below.
RAADS–R: Foundational research overview
Recommended next steps
After the RAADS–R, consider taking one of the tests below.
AQ
Measures autistic traits across 5 areas: social skills,
communication, attention, detail, and imagination
CAT-Q
Measures camouflaging, and can account
for lower scores on other autism tests
EQ
A general measure of empathy (emotional &
cognitive empathy) across different situations.
Ready for clinical interpretation?
Autism Screening Assessment
Understand how your questionnaires, developmental history, and
experiences fit together with guidance from an autistic psychologist.
Comments
Let us know what you think!