In other articles on this website, we discussed how to screen adult patients for possible autism spectrum disorder. See Related Pages below. We recommend the use of a brief questionnaire like the AQ-10—completed independently by the patient and someone who knows the patient well—and using a lower than standard cut-off in ALL adult patients who do not have a moderate or severe learning disability.
But there are some things in the history and examination of a patient that should make us think about the possibility of autism spectrum disorder and lead us to evaluate the person for it. On this page, let’s briefly summarize what these suggestive clinical features are.
For more on screening and diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in adults, please see the following articles on this website:
Tips on diagnosing autism spectrum disorder
Look for “social camouflaging” when autism spectrum disorder is a possibility
Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
How to screen adults for autism spectrum disorder
How to score and interpret the Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
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