NovoPsych
Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ)
Instructions:
Please read the statement below and indicate by tapping, No, Somewhat, or Yes if this child stands
out as different from other children of his/her age in the following ways:
No Somewhat Yes
1 is old-fashioned or precocious 0 1 2
is regarded as an "eccentric
2
professor" by the other children 0 1 2
lives somewhat in a world of his/her own
3 with restricted idiosyncratic intellectual 0 1 2
interests
accumulates facts on certain subjects
4 (good rote memory) but does not really 0 1 2
understand the meaning
has a literal understanding of ambiguous
5
and metaphorical language 0 1 2
has a deviant style of communication
6 with a formal, fussy, old-fashioned or 0 1 2
"robot like" language
invents idiosyncratic words and
7
expressions 0 1 2
8 has a different voice or speech 0 1 2
expresses sounds involuntarily; clears
9
throat, grunts, smacks, cries or screams 0 1 2
is surprisingly good at some things
10
and surprisingly poor at others 0 1 2
uses language freely but fails to make
11 adjustment to fit social contexts or the 0 1 2
needs of different listeners
12 lacks empathy 0 1 2
makes naive and embarrassing
13
remarks 0 1 2
14 has a deviant style of gaze 0 1 2
wishes to be sociable but fails to
15
make relationships with peers 0 1 2
can be with other children but only on
16
his/her terms 0 1 2
17 lacks best friend 0 1 2
Page 1 of 2
No Somewhat Yes
18 lacks common sense 0 1 2
is poor at games: no idea of cooperating in
19 a team, scores "own goals" 0 1 2
has clumsy, ill coordinated, ungainly,
20
awkward movements or gestures 0 1 2
has involuntary face or body
21
movements 0 1 2
has difficulties in completing simple daily
22 activities because of compulsory 0 1 2
repetition of certain actions or thoughts
has special routines: insists on no
23
change 0 1 2
shows idiosyncratic attachment to
24
objects 0 1 2
25 is bullied by other children 0 1 2
has markedly unusual facial
26
expression 0 1 2
27 has markedly unusual posture 0 1 2
Developer Reference:
Ehlers, S., Gillberg, C., & Wing, L. (1999). A screening questionnaire for Asperger syndrome and
other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in school age children. Journal of autism and
developmental disorders, 29(2), 129-141.