Descriptive analysis of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in a sample of Brazilian adults

ABSTRACT Background The Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by the presence of difficulties in social interaction, inflexible, repetitive and/or stereotyped behaviors and interests. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a self-report instrument with 50 items created to quantify autistic traits in individuals older than 18 years with average or above-average intelligence. Objectives The principal aim was to present a brief descriptive analysis of the AQ in a heterogeneous sample of Brazilian adults, also, to measure the clinical validity of the scale. Method We recruited all the participants in Brazil (N=1024). Then we described the distribution in the general population (N=385) and investigated the AQ accuracy in a sample of autistic adults (N=32). Results Our results suggested that autism traits were normally distributed in the population, but Brazilian adults have shown a different profile from the original study. Further, we found that 24 adults from the sample had a clinical score on the AQ, compatible with their previous autism diagnosis. Discussion Our population probably reports more symptoms compared to other because the original clinical score represents a lower percentile in our sample. Also, future work will be required to adequate the use of the AQ in the Brazilian population.