RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised) is a self-report questionnaire with a total of 80 questions designed to help assess the presence of autistic traits in adults. RAADS-R is a proven tool that helps identify adult autism by examining lifelong patterns of cognition, perception, and behavior, especially for adults who have been neglected or misdiagnosed in the early stages.
The RAADS-R scale was developed by Ritvo et al. in 2011 and supported in international validation studies. RAADS-R is best for male and female adults aged 18 and older, with an IQ of average or higher (i.e., IQ above 80).
RAADS-R autism test structure and content
The RAADS-R Autism Scale contains 80 statements , and users need to choose the answer that best matches their social interaction experience. Same as the RAADS-14 , each statement has four options to choose from, and it takes about 10 to 30 minutes to complete the full version of the RAAD-R80 question.
The RAADS-R scale evaluates four major symptom areas:
1. Social Relatedness Problems :
- Contains 39 questions .
- Assess an individual’s ability to get along with others, such as compassion, empathy, courtesy, and interpersonal skills.
- Focus specifically on the challenges of understanding other people’s thoughts or feelings, preferences to get along with people with common interests, being seen as “different”, being outspoken, taking turns in conversations, understanding nonverbal communication, imitation/disguise to fit others, etc.
- Scores above 30 are considered important .
2. Circumscribed Interests :
- Includes 14 questions .
- Assess the scope of interest of an individual and the extent to which they talk about them.
- Pay attention to preference for details, frustration with unexpected situations (not like others changing their daily routines), special interests, etc.
- Scores above 14 are considered significant .
3. Language :
- Includes 7 questions .
- Assess the frequency of individuals citing words and phrases in movies or TV in conversations, as well as their ability to understand linguistic nuances (such as metaphors).
- Focus specifically on “movie dialogue,” chat, and the challenges of understanding literal meaning.
- Scores above 3 are considered important .
4. Sensory Motor :
- Includes 20 questions .
- Measuring the difficulty of an individual in sensory sensitivity, the frequency of self-stimulating behaviors, and their atypical speech patterns and intonation.
- It involves volume challenges, sound differences, motion control issues (clumsy), sensory stimulation overload, etc.
- Scores above 15 are considered important .
Score and interpretation of results of RAADS-R scale
The total score of RAADS-R ranges from 0 to 240 points , and the higher the score, the more it indicates behaviors and symptoms consistent with autism.
- A total score of 65 or above is considered to be consistent with autism.
- In Ritvo et al.'s 2011 validation study, no individuals with autism (neurotypical people) scored above 64 points (100% specificity), while only 3% of the autism population scored not more than 65 points (97% sensitivity).
To better understand your score, RAADS-R also provides percentile comparisons with neurotypical adult controls and those with confirmed autism.
- The mean score of the neurotypic control group was 25.95 (standard deviation 16.04).
- The mean score of the control group with confirmed autism was 133.81 (standard deviation 37.72).
- The total score of 65 is higher than the percentile for neurotypical populations, and about 3% for autistic adults.
RAADS-R Total Score Interpretation Reference:
- 25 points : You are not an autistic person.
- 50 points : There are some autistic traits, but they may not be autistic (although some people with autism score as low as 44).
- 65 points : The minimum score for autism is considered.
- 90 points : Strong signs of autism, although non-autistic people may also get this high score.
- 130 points : Average score for people with autism; strong evidence for autism.
- 160 points : Very strong evidence of autism.
- 227 points : The highest scores obtained by autistic patients in Ritvo's paper.
- 240 points : The highest possible score for RAADS-R.
RAADS-R subscale score threshold:
- Language: 4 points
- Social connection: 31 points
- Sensor movement: 16 points
- Limited Interest: 15 points
Accuracy and reliability of RAADS-R autism test
The RAADS-R scale has been proven as a reliable tool to assist in the diagnosis of autistic adults. It has high sensitivity (97%), specificity (100%), high concurrency validity (96%) and high test-retest reliability (0.987). It is a useful clinical tool that can assist clinicians in making diagnosis.
Important Tips
RAADS-R is mainly used as a screening tool, not a diagnostic tool . The accuracy and reliability of test results may vary from one factor to another and should be interpreted with caution.
For a clear diagnosis, it is highly recommended to consult a qualified healthcare professional . If there is a difference between the clinician's diagnosis and the diagnosis of RAADS-R, the clinician's diagnosis should be based on the clinician's diagnosis, as some symptoms may only appear in the interview. Furthermore, assessment of the nature of self-assessment may result in some individuals with low reflective abilities or insights scoring lower even if they have diagnosable autism. Therefore, clinicians are advised to carefully examine individual responses to questions.
Some experts raised concerns about some of the statements of RAADS-R, believing that they may not be fully consistent with the characteristics of autism, may even be derogatory, or more associated with alexithymia rather than autism.
Ready to start exploring?
With RAADS-R, you will have the opportunity to better understand your qualities. Remember that this test is designed to provide preliminary screening results and is not a replacement for professional clinical diagnosis.
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