RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale – Revised)

The RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale – Revised) is a psychological screening questionnaire designed to help identify traits commonly associated with autism spectrum conditions in adults.

It focuses on understanding how a person experiences the world across their lifetime, including both childhood and current adulthood experiences. The questionnaire looks at patterns in social interaction, communication style, sensory sensitivity, attention to detail, emotional understanding, routines, and personal interests.

Many autistic traits can appear in subtle ways and may not always be recognized in early life, especially in individuals who develop coping strategies to blend into social situations. Because of this, the RAADS-R includes questions about both present-day experiences and experiences before the age of 16.

This assessment is not a medical diagnosis. Instead, it is a screening tool that helps highlight traits that may suggest the need for further professional evaluation. High scores do not confirm autism, and low scores do not fully rule it out. It should always be interpreted carefully along with clinical judgment and personal history.

The RAADS-R is widely used in clinical psychology, research studies, and neurodevelopmental assessments to better understand autistic traits in individuals who may have gone undiagnosed earlier in life.

You will be shown a series of statements describing different thoughts, behaviors, and experiences that people may have in everyday life.

For each statement, you will choose the answer that best describes your experience. Some questions ask about your current experiences, while others ask you to compare your current experience with how you felt or behaved when you were younger than 16 years old.

Please choose only one option for each statement:

True now and when I was young
Only true now
True only when I was younger than 16
Never true

There are no right or wrong answers. Please answer honestly based on your natural experiences rather than what you think is expected.

Your responses will help generate an overview of autism-related traits across different areas of social behavior, communication, sensory experience, and thinking style.

This assessment is intended for self-report screening of adults/adolescents with reflective ability.

True now and when I was young=3
Only true now=2
True only when I was younger than 16=1
Never true=0

v1.0 RAADS-R integration

I am a sympathetic person.

I often use words and phrases from movies and television in conversations.

I am often surprised when others tell me I have been rude.

Sometimes I talk too loudly or too softly, and I am not aware of it.

I often don't know how to act in social situations.

I can 'put myself in other people's shoes.'

I have a hard time figuring out what some phrases mean, like 'you are the apple of my eye.'

I only like to talk to people who share my special interests.

I focus on details rather than the overall idea.

I always notice how food feels in my mouth. This is more important to me than how it tastes.

I miss my best friends or family when we are apart for a long time.

Sometimes I offend others by saying what I am thinking, even if I don't mean to.

I only like to think and talk about a few things that interest me.

I'd rather go out to eat in a restaurant by myself than with someone I know.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to be someone else.

I have been told that I am clumsy or uncoordinated.

Others consider me odd or different.

I understand when friends need to be comforted.

I am very sensitive to the way my clothes feel when I touch them. How they feel is more important to me than how they look.

I like to copy the way certain people speak and act. It helps me appear more normal.

It can be very intimidating for me to talk to more than one person at the same time.

I have to 'act normal' to please other people and make them like me.

Meeting new people is usually easy for me.

I get highly confused when someone interrupts me when I am talking about something I am very interested in.

It is difficult for me to understand how other people are feeling when we are talking.

I like having a conversation with several people, for instance around a dinner table, at school or at work.

I take things too literally, so I often miss what people are trying to say.

It is very difficult for me to understand when someone is embarrassed or jealous.

Some ordinary textures that do not bother others feel very offensive when they touch my skin.

I get extremely upset when the way I like to do things is suddenly changed.

I have never wanted or needed to have what other people call an 'intimate relationship.'

It is difficult for me to start and stop a conversation. I need to keep going until I am finished.

I speak with a normal rhythm.

The same sound, colour or texture can suddenly change from very sensitive to very dull.

The phrase 'I've got you under my skin' makes me uncomfortable.

Sometimes the sound of a word or a high-pitched noise can be painful to my ears.

I am an understanding type of person.

I do not connect with characters in movies and cannot feel what they feel.

I cannot tell when someone is flirting with me.

I can see in my mind in exact detail things that I am interested in.

I keep lists of things that interest me, even when they have no practical use.

When I feel overwhelmed by my senses, I have to isolate myself to shut them down.

I like to talk things over with my friends.

I cannot tell if someone is interested or bored with what I am saying.

It can be very hard to read someone's face, hand and body movements when they are talking.

The same thing can feel very different to me at different times.

I feel very comfortable with dating or being in social situations with others.

I try to be as helpful as I can when other people tell me their personal problems.

I have been told that I have an unusual voice.

Sometimes a thought or subject gets stuck in my mind and I have to talk about it even if no one is interested.

I do certain things with my hands over and over again.

I have never been interested in what most of the people I know consider interesting.

I am considered a compassionate type of person.

I get along with other people by following a set of specific rules that help me look normal.

It is very difficult for me to work and function in groups.

When I am talking to someone, it is hard to change the subject.

Sometimes I have to cover my ears to block out painful noises.

I can chat and make small talk with people.

Sometimes things that should feel painful are not.

When talking to someone, I have a hard time telling when it is my turn to talk or to listen.

I am considered a loner by those who know me best.

I usually speak in a normal tone.

I like things to be exactly the same day after day and even small changes in my routines upset me.

How to make friends and socialise is a mystery to me.

It calms me to spin around or to rock in a chair when I'm feeling stressed.

The phrase 'He wears his heart on his sleeve' does not make sense to me.

If I am in a place with many sensory inputs, I feel anxious or frightened.

I can tell when someone says one thing but means something else.

I like to be by myself as much as I can.

I keep my thoughts stacked in my memory like filing cards.

The same sound sometimes seems very loud or very soft even though it has not changed.

I enjoy spending time eating and talking with my family and friends.

I can't tolerate things I dislike.

I don't like to be hugged or held.

When I go somewhere, I have to follow a familiar route or I get confused.

It is difficult to figure out what other people expect of me.

I like to have close friends.

People tell me that I give too much detail.

I am often told that I ask embarrassing questions.

I tend to point out other people's mistakes.