Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R)
The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R) is a long one: 80 questions spanning social interaction, language, sensory and motor experience, and the narrow, intense interests that often come with autism. It's built for adults, not children. Many of the people who take it are adults who were never assessed when they were young.
Last Updated: 4 February, 2025
- Length: 20 minutes
- Questions: 80 questions
- Sensitivity: 97%
- Specificity: 100%
You complete it yourself, weighing how you are now against how you were as a kid. That childhood lens matters. Traits that were masked or brushed off at school often make far more sense in hindsight. One caveat worth knowing: because it leans on self-reflection, some autistic people who find that reflection hard can score lower than you'd expect. It's a screen, not the last word.
Instructions:
Please answer each question as accurately as possible, considering both your current behavior and your behavior during childhood/teenage years. Take your time - this assessment is comprehensive and may take about 20 minutes to complete thoughtfully.
RAADS-R Online Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
The RAADS-R evaluates four key domains associated with autism spectrum conditions: social relatedness, language, sensory-motor issues, and circumscribed interests. It's designed to capture both current and childhood behaviors, providing a comprehensive view of developmental patterns typical in autism spectrum conditions.
The RAADS-R has been extensively validated with a sensitivity of 97% (ability to correctly identify those with autism) and a specificity of 100% (ability to correctly identify those without autism) (source). However, as a self-report assessment, individuals with low reflective capacity may score lower on the RAADS-R despite having diagnosable autism. For this reason, clinician supervision during the assessment is essential for the most accurate results. While the RAADS-R is one of the most accurate screening tools available for adult autism assessment, it should be used as part of a comprehensive diagnostic process with qualified healthcare professionals.
If your results indicate possible autism spectrum traits, it's recommended to consult with a mental health professional who specializes in adult autism assessment. They can provide a thorough evaluation and help determine appropriate next steps, which may include formal diagnosis and support planning.
Understanding the Results
The RAADS-R uses a four-point rating scale for each question, considering both current and past behaviors. For most questions, points are assigned as follows:
- True now and when I was young = 3 points
- True only now = 2 points
- True only when I was younger than 16 = 1 point
- Never true = 0 points
Some questions use reverse scoring because they describe typical rather than autistic traits. For these questions, the scoring is reversed:
- Never true = 3 points
- True only when I was younger than 16 = 2 points
- True only now = 1 point
- True now and when I was young = 0 points
The total score is calculated by adding up points from all 80 items, taking into account regular and reverse scoring. The threshold score of 65 or higher suggests the presence of autism spectrum traits.
References
Ritvo, R., Ritvo, E., Guthrie, D., Yuwiler, A., Ritvo, M., & Weisbender, L. (2008). A scale to assist the diagnosis of Autism and Asperger's disorder in Adults (RAADS): A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(2), 213–223.