Autism Screening for Women
The GQ-ASC (Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions) is a validated screening tool designed to identify autistic traits in women and girls.
Important: This is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A score above threshold suggests further professional assessment may be helpful. Only a qualified professional can diagnose autism.
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What Is the GQ-ASC Autism Screening?
The Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions (GQ-ASC) is a screening tool specifically designed to identify autistic traits in women and girls. Developed by researchers at the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, it addresses a critical gap: most existing autism tools were validated primarily on male samples and miss the ways autism commonly presents in women. The GQ-ASC captures traits like social camouflaging, intense interests in people-oriented topics, sensory sensitivities, and social exhaustion that standard screeners often overlook.
Why Autism Presents Differently in Women
Research increasingly shows that autistic women and girls are underdiagnosed because their traits look different from the male stereotype. Many autistic women develop sophisticated social "masking" strategies — learning social rules intellectually rather than intuitively, mimicking facial expressions and conversational patterns, and suppressing stimming behaviours in public. This camouflaging comes at a high cost: chronic exhaustion, anxiety, and identity confusion. The GQ-ASC was built to detect these patterns rather than relying on the more overt social difficulties measured by traditional tools.
How the GQ-ASC Works
The GQ-ASC includes questions across several domains including social interaction, communication, imagination, camouflaging, and sensory processing. Unlike the AQ-10 which takes 3 minutes, the GQ-ASC is a more comprehensive screening that takes about 5 minutes and provides a deeper picture of how autism may present in your daily life. It is suitable for women and gender-diverse people of any age who suspect they may be autistic.
What Happens After the Screening?
After completing the questionnaire, you will receive an instant score with a clear explanation of what it means. A score above the clinical threshold suggests autistic traits that warrant further professional assessment. You can download or email your results to share with a psychologist or GP. For a quicker initial check, you may also want to try our AQ-10 screening which takes just 3 minutes. Remember, no online quiz can diagnose autism — only a qualified clinician can make a formal diagnosis through comprehensive assessment.