Very low likelihood

What an AQ-10 Score of 1 Means

TL;DR

A score of 1 means just one of the 10 items prompted an autistic-direction response. This sits well below the AQ-10 cut-off of 6 and indicates a very low likelihood of autism on this brief screen — within the typical non-autistic range.

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Score in Context

Score band
1 (very low)
Where it sits
Lower tail of the non-autistic distribution. Below the population mean of about 2–3.
Cut-off threshold
6 (Allison & Baron-Cohen, 2012). Sensitivity 88%, specificity 91%.
Diagnostic status
Screening tool only — only a clinician can diagnose autism.

What an AQ-10 of 1 Means

A score of 1 puts you at the lower end of the AQ-10 distribution. It tells you that one item out of ten resonated with the autism-direction response, while the other nine did not. That single item is likely a quirk of how a single question maps to your day-to-day life rather than evidence of a trait pattern.

In the original Allison, Auyeung & Baron-Cohen (2012) validation, the median non-autistic adult scored around 2 on the AQ-10. A score of 1 sits comfortably within that distribution. The AQ-10's clinical cut-off is 6, with sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 91% at that threshold; you're five points clear of it.

If you took the AQ-10 because you suspected autism, a 1 is reassuring on this instrument. That said, the AQ-10 is a fast triage tool and isn't the final word. Adults whose presentation involves masking, sensory issues that the AQ-10 only lightly probes, or specific subscale patterns may score lower than their underlying profile would predict.

Recommended Next Steps

  • No follow-up needed based on the AQ-10 alone.
  • If you're still curious about a fuller picture, consider the RAADS-R (80 items, four sub-scales).
  • Take the result as one data point, not a verdict.

How a 1 Compares Across Tests

An AQ-10 score in this range typically corresponds to RAADS-R scores well below 65 (the RAADS-R below-threshold band).

Take the RAADS-R for a more granular four-sub-scale profile.

← Score 0 All AQ-10 scores Score 2 →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an AQ-10 score of 1 high or low?

Low. The cut-off for considering further assessment is 6. A 1 is five full points below that threshold and within the typical non-autistic range.

What's the difference between a 0 and a 1?

Functionally very little. Both are well below the cut-off and within the typical non-autistic distribution. A 0 is rarer; a 1 is closer to the population mean of 2–3.

Could a 1 still mean autism?

It's unlikely on this instrument. Some adults who mask heavily or whose autism manifests primarily in domains the AQ-10 doesn't probe could in principle score lower than expected — but a 1 strongly argues against autism on the AQ-10.

Should I retake the AQ-10 to confirm a 1?

If you answered honestly the first time, retaking is unlikely to change much. AQ-10 retest reliability is high. A more useful follow-up — if you have lingering questions — is a longer measure like the RAADS-R.

Is a 1 normal for adults?

Yes. The non-autistic adult median is around 2 on the AQ-10. A 1 is unremarkable and well within the typical range.

Take the AQ-10 yourself

Free · 10 questions · ~3 minutes · Allison & Baron-Cohen (2012)

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