RAADS-R
Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale — Revised
An 80-item self-report designed to identify autism in adults, accounting for how traits may have changed over the lifespan.
For each statement, select when it has been true for you. The options let you indicate whether a trait was only present earlier in life, only now, both, or never.
About the RAADS-R
The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale — Revised was developed by Riva Ariella Ritvo and colleagues (2011) to assist clinicians in identifying autism in adults who often “escape diagnosis” due to subclinical presentations, high masking, or late identification. Unlike other screeners, the RAADS-R captures how traits may have changed across the lifespan by offering four temporal response options.
80 items across four subscales. Originally designed for clinician administration, but self-report provides useful insight. Takes 10–30 minutes.
Subscales & thresholds
Language
7 items
Threshold: 4+
Social
39 items
Threshold: 31+
Sensory-Motor
20 items
Threshold: 16+
Interests
14 items
Threshold: 15+
Scoring
63 items score 3 for “True now and when I was young,” 2 for “True only now,” 1 for “True only when younger than 16,” and 0 for “Never true.” 17 normative items use reversed scoring. The total range is 0–240. A score of 65 or above indicates likely autism — no non-autistic individual in the validation study scored above 64.
Validity
The RAADS-R has exceptionally strong psychometric properties:
- Sensitivity: 97%
- Specificity: 100%
- Concurrent validity: 96%
- Test-retest reliability: 0.987
The mean score for autistic adults was 133.8; for non-autistic controls it was 26.0.
Important: The RAADS-R was designed to be administered by a clinician. Self-administration can still provide useful insight, but results should be discussed with a qualified professional for proper interpretation.
Ritvo, R. A., Ritvo, E. R., Guthrie, D., Ritvo, M. J., Hufnagel, D. H., McMahon, W., Tonge, B., Mataix-Cols, D., Jassi, A., Attwood, T., & Eloff, J. (2011). 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. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1076–1089.