Embrace Autism Menu

Wri!en by:

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP

April 4, 2020

Category: Autism tests

RAADS–R
Last updated on August 18, 2022

Contents
1 – Who the test is designed for
2 – Versions & translations
3 – Taking the test
4 – Scoring
5 – Subscales
6 – Average scores
7 – Mean scores
8 – Validity
9 – Discussion
10 – The RAADS–R
11 – What do my scores mean?
12 – Statements per subscales
13 – Recommended next steps

14 – References
15 – Tags
16 – Disclaimer

12 min read

The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic

Scale–Revised (RAADS–R) is a self-
report questionnaire designed to identify
adult autistics who “escape diagnosis”
due to a subclinical level presentation.

Basic information
Statements: 80

Duration: 10–30 minutes

Type: screening tool

Authors: Riva Ariella

Ritvo et al.

Publishing year: 2011

Seminal paper: 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., 2011)

Original RAADS
Statements: 78

Publishing year: 2008

Seminal paper: A Scale to Assist

the Diagnosis of
Autism and
Asperger’s
Disorder in Adults
(RAADS): A Pilot
Study (Ritvo et
al., 2008)

Take the test here:

RAADS–R

*The test has good reliability when self-

administered, but this can drop down to 30%
when clinicians administer it, depending on
their understanding of autism.

Who the test is

designed for
Adults (age 16+) with ASD level 1 or
subclinical autism.
Adults with IQ in the normal range
(IQ >=80).[1]

Versions &
translations
The RAADS–R has been translated into
Swedish, and was also available in most
languages through Google Translate. But
as of 13 January 2022, it seems the
online RAADS–R tests have been taken
down. As far as we know, we are
currently the only ones who host the
RAADS–R online, albeit in English only.

Taking the test

The RAADS–R is a self-report
instrument. However, the authors
mention that a clinician might help a
participant interpret items if they have
difficulty understanding the question.

The test assesses developmental

symptoms correlating with the three
DSM-5 diagnostic categories (Language,
Social relatedness, Sensory–motor) as
well as a fourth subscale, Circumscribed
interests. It consists of 80 statements,
giving you 4 choices for each statement:

True now and when I was young

True now only
True only when I was younger than
16
Never true

If you decide to take the test, please

consider the Discussion section below.

Scoring
Basics
Scoring range: 0–240
Threshold score: 65↑
65+ you are likely autistic (no
neurotypical scored above 64 in the
research)
<65 you are likely not autistic (97%
chance of not being autistic)

Scoring methods
You can take the test using two
methods:

Automated-scoring
Paper-based if you want
documentation of your answers (you
can find the scoring key at the
bottom of the PDF)

Scoring
The scoring of most of the statements
(63) is as follows:

True now and when I was young (3

points)
True now only (2 points)
True only when I was younger than
16 (1 point)
Never true (0 points)

However, the point value is reversed for

the 17 so-called normative questions:[2]

True now and when I was young (0

points)
True now only (1 point)
True only when I was younger than
16 (2 points)
Never true (3 points)

Below you can see an example of the

first 3 questions, the first of which
(denoted by an asterisk) is normative
and thus has reversed scoring.

Subscales
Language
The language subscale is made up of 7
statements. The focus of these
statements is on:

Movie talk: Friends notice you’ve

heard something new because you
start using the word or phrase
regularly.
Small talk: A light conversation
about unimportant things that
people make during social
interactions—instead of topics that
are actually interesting and fun to
talk about.
Being literal: Having challenges when
‘what is said’ language does not
match ‘what is meant’ language.

Social relatedness
The social relatedness subscale is made
up of 39 statements. The focus of these
statements is on:

Mentalization: Challenges with

understanding what others are
thinking or feeling.
Mutual interests: Preferring to be
with people with whom you share
interests.
Outsider: Being considered ‘different’.
Bluntness: Being called rude; or that
you have asked embarrassing
questions; or pointed out when
others have made an error.
Dialectical reciprocity: Challenges
knowing when it is your turn to talk,
in a conversation or on the phone.
Emotional reciprocity: Difficulty
knowing when a person is flirting
with you.
Auditory processing issues:
Challenges talking with several
people at the same time.
Object permanence: Not missing
people when they’re absent.
Maintaining relationships: Challenges
making or keeping friends.
Nonverbal communication:
Challenges understanding body
language.
Mimicry/imitation: Copying others’
behaviour to fit in.
Camouflaging: Hiding your automatic
behaviours to fit in with others.

Sensory–motor
The sensory–motor subscale is made up
of 20 statements. The focus of these
statements is on:

Voice volume challenges: Talking very

loud, not loud enough, or significant
fluctuations between the two.
Voice differences: Speaking
monotone, like a child, or in silly
voices.
Motor control issues: Clumsiness
and being uncoordinated.
Sensory: Sensory stimulation that
doesn’t bother others can be painful
and overwhelming. The experience
can differ significantly at various
times or be context-dependent. You
may get anxious when
overstimulated.

Circumscribed interests
The circumscribed interests subscale is
made up of 14 statements. The focus of
these statements is on:

Details preference: focuses on

details before the big picture, but
can do both.
Upset when the unexpected occurs:
A dislike of someone changing your
routine—this does not mean that you
stick to your own routine, just that
you dislike someone else changing
YOUR routine.
Special interests: Speaking about
them, having them…

Average scores
The table below shows the average total
scores and subscores for people taking
the RAADS-R online, divided by autistic
people, suspected autistic people, and
non-autistic people (neurotypicals).

Average RAADS-R scores

Total Language Social
  
score related

Autism 65.0 4.0 31.0

threshold
values

Autistic 148.6 11.9 71.3

males

Autistic 160.4 12.8 73.5

females

Suspected 141.6 11.2 70.0

autistic
males

Suspected 145.2 11.3 67.2

autistic
females

Neurotypical 84.2 6.6 43.0

males

Neurotypical 91.6 6.8 42.8

females

You might ask, “If the threshold score is

65, and no neurotypicals scored higher
than 64 in the research, then why are
the average neurotypical scores above
80?” Excellent question!

The answer is in how the data is being

collected. The table above is based on
people taking the RAADS–R online,
which for research purposes starts with
the question as to whether you are
diagnosed with autism, suspect you’re
autistic, or are not autistic. But some
people that answered the latter will—
contrary to their own expectations—end
up scoring in the autistic range. Due to
this misattribution, their scores get
counted as neurotypical scores despite
scoring in the autistic range, thus
skewing the results.

In other words, the average neurotypical

scores as reported by the online
RAADS–R (on Aspietests.org) are almost
certainly too high. The average scores
you can find in the research literature
are more reliable, given that they use
genuine neurotypicals as a control
group. In the article below, you can find
a table with average scores that I have
taken from the research literature.

A summary of the autism

tests & scores

Mean scores
Because the table with average scores is
based on skewed data, let me also
present the mean scores from Ritvo’s
seminal paper:[3]

Mean RAADS–R scores

Mean Range Language
   
total

Autistic 133.83 44–227 11.08

spectrum
(n = 66)

Asperger — — 10.06
(n = 135)

Controls 25.95 0–65 1.86

(n = 276)

Validity
The RAADS–R is a reliable instrument to
assist the diagnosis of autistic adults.[4]

No neurotypical who took the test

scored above the autism threshold.
Only 3% of the autistic group did not
score over 65.
Test–retest reliability was high,
particularly for the autistic group.[5]

Here is how the RAADS–R measures up:

RAADS-R validity
Measure Result Meaning

Sensitivity 97% Test’s ability to identify

positive results

Specificity 100% Test’s ability to identify

negative results

Concurrent 96% Test’s validity

validity compared with ADOS
Module 4, SRS

Test–retest .987 Test’s agreement

reliability between results of
successive
measurements

❝
A total RAADS–R score of 65 or
higher is consistent with the
diagnosis of autism and
supports a clinician’s diagnosis.
However, if there is a difference
between the clinician’s
diagnosis and the RAADS–R
diagnostic assignment, the
clinician’s diagnosis should take
precedent. This is because
symptoms may be revealed
only during an interview.

Also, the RAADS–R

standardization study reported
that many autism subjects,
particularly those in their late
teens and early twenties, failed
to acknowledge the presence
of symptoms that their families
said were present and which
were readily observed by the
diagnostician.[6]
❞

Discussion
Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht:
The test has been validated and cited in
the medical literature numerous times.
However, as both an autistic and a
psychotherapist, I have some concerns
with the RAADS–R:

Quite a few of the statements are

not actually characteristic of autism
and are likely going to be
experienced as demeaning (e.g. I am
NEVER a compassionate type of
person).
A few questions are characteristic of
alexithymia rather than autism (e.g.
the ones on lack of compassion and
empathy). While alexithymia
correlates strongly with autism, it
should not be confused with autism
itself.
Two-thirds of autistic adults were
incorrectly identified by clinicians
when they used this test, despite the
fact that the test has strong validity.
[7] I suspect the reason for this is

that the normative questions that

indicate what we ought to be like are
outdated. I contacted Dr. Ritvo
regarding this, but she has declined
to respond.