Screener: Ritvo Autism & Asperger Diagnostic Scale (RAADS-14)

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This questionnaire takes about 3–5 minutes to complete and includes 14 questions. Please answer based on what feels most true for you right now, rather than what you think you should say. There are no right or wrong answers. All responses are confidential.
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1.It is difficult for me to understand how other people are feeling when we are talking.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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2. Some ordinary textures that do not bother others feel very offensive when they touch my skin.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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3. It is very difficult for me to work and function in groups.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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4. It is difficult to figure out what other people expect of me.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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5. I often don’t know how to act in social situations.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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6.* I can chat and make small talk with people.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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7. When I feel overwhelmed by my senses, I have to isolate myself to shut them down.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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8. How to make friends and socialize is a mystery to me.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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9. When talking to someone, I have a hard time telling when it is my turn to talk or to listen.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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10. Sometimes I have to cover my ears to block out painful noises (like vacuum cleaners or people talking too much or too loudly).* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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11. It can be very hard to read someone’s face, hand, and body movements when we are talking.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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12. I focus on details rather than the overall idea.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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13. I take things too literally, so I often miss what people are trying to say.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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14. I get extremely upset when the way I like to do things is suddenly changed.* This field is required.
True now and when I was young.
True only now.
True only when I was younger than 17.
Never true.
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Your Score Is: Click Next to see detail interpretation of your score.
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Understanding a Higher RAADS‑14 Score (14-42)

Your score is {totalScore143}, which falls in the high range (14-42) where many adults find that autistic traits meaningfully resonate with their lived experience. Scores on the RAADS‑14 are intended to highlight patterns that may be worth exploring further, not to determine whether you are or are not autistic.

On this measure, scores below 14 are less commonly associated with autism‑related traits, while scores of 14 or higher suggest that autism may be relevant to how a person experiences the world. A higher score simply means that your responses overlap more closely with those reported by autistic adults, particularly those identified later in life.

What this score may reflect

Many people with higher RAADS‑14 scores describe navigating the world with increased internal effort. You may notice that social interactions, interpreting others’ intentions, or managing sensory environments require conscious thought rather than happening automatically. Heightened stress, anxiety, or sensory discomfort can be part of this picture, especially in busy, unpredictable, or socially demanding settings.

Importantly, these experiences often reflect adaptation rather than deficit. Many adults with high scores have developed thoughtful, intelligent coping strategies that help them function, sometimes at a significant personal cost that others may not see.

When higher scores feel challenging

For some adults, a higher RAADS‑14 score aligns with long‑standing struggles such as feeling out of sync socially, needing recovery time after interactions, or feeling overwhelmed by sensory input like noise, light, or competing demands. These experiences can contribute to fatigue, burnout, or a sense of being misunderstood, particularly when masking or compensating has been necessary for years.

Overlap with other experiences and conditions

Autistic traits can overlap with, or be shaped by, other factors such as ADHD, anxiety, trauma histories, or obsessive patterns of thinking. Many adults relate to more than one framework, and this does not mean the results are confusing or invalid. It simply reflects the complexity of nervous systems that have worked very hard to adapt over time.

Understanding where your experiences come from, and how they intersect, can make it easier to identify supports, accommodations, or next steps that actually fit you.

If your score sparked recognition, uncertainty, relief, or new questions, those reactions are all valid. Screeners are meant to open a door to understanding, not to close one with a label.
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Understanding a Lower RAADS‑14 Score

Your score is {totalScore143}, which falls in the low range (0-13) where fewer autism‑related traits are endorsed on this particular screener. On the RAADS‑14, scores below 14 are less commonly associated with patterns typically reported by autistic adults.

A lower score suggests that, based on your responses, social interaction, perspective‑taking, and sensory environments may feel generally manageable for you. You may experience less day‑to‑day stress related to these areas, or find that navigating social expectations tends to feel more intuitive than effortful.

It’s important to remember that this screener captures only a narrow snapshot of experience. A low score does not mean your challenges—past or present—aren’t real or meaningful, and it does not function as a definitive answer about neurodivergence.

When lower scores reflect strengths

Many adults with lower RAADS‑14 scores describe relative ease with reading social situations, understanding others’ intentions, or tolerating sensory input such as noise, light, or crowded environments. These experiences can reflect strengths in social attunement, flexibility, or nervous system regulation, particularly in familiar or predictable contexts.

Important context to keep in mind

Autistic traits can present subtly in adults, especially those who have learned strong coping or masking strategies over time. Cultural expectations, gender socialization, trauma exposure, and life experience can all shape how traits show up—or how they are reported on brief screeners. For some people, internal effort or exhaustion is not fully captured by tools like the RAADS‑14, even when meaningful challenges are present.

Thinking about next steps

If this score aligns with how you generally experience yourself, it may simply offer reassurance that autism is less likely to be a central explanatory framework for you. If, however, you continue to feel unsettled, confused, or curious, especially if you experience burnout, sensory overwhelm, identity strain, or long‑standing “something doesn’t quite fit” feelings, it may still be helpful to talk with a neurodiversity‑affirming professional who can explore your experiences in a more nuanced way.

Screeners are designed to inform reflection, not to overrule self‑understanding. Your experiences deserve to be taken seriously, regardless of where a single score falls.
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What to do with this information

Your screener results are meant to support reflection, not to define you or determine next steps on their own. Whether your score felt validating, confusing, reassuring, or stirred up mixed emotions, that reaction matters. Many adults find that simply seeing their experiences reflected in language can bring both relief and new questions.

If you’re wondering what these results might mean in the context of your life, history, and current stress load, you don’t have to sort that out alone. I’m happy to answer questions or help you think through whether a full adult ADHD and/or autism evaluation would feel supportive for you.

If you’d like, you’re welcome to schedule a 20‑minute consultation. This is a low‑pressure, informational conversation designed to help you understand options, ask questions, and decide, at your own pace, what makes sense next. There is no obligation to pursue an evaluation.

You’re also allowed to sit with this information and return to it later. Curiosity unfolds over time, and clarity doesn’t have to be rushed.

Access my calendar to schedule your consultation here:

https://adultautismspecialist.clientsecure.me/
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