Steve Asbell’s Autistic Masking Quiz

~ MissLunaRose
Art of a person crying behind a happy mask
Autistic masking can conceal a person’s struggles.

“Autistic masking” is the practice of hiding one’s own autistic traits, sometimes to the detriment of mental health. Autistic people do it consciously or unconsciously to “fit in” with the non-autistic world and avoid mistreatment.

Autistic masking can also make it harder to get a diagnosis. If you spend years learning to mimic non-autistic behavior, other people (even professionals!) might assume you’re non-autistic.

So if you’re looking for diagnosis and support, what do you do?

Autistic writer and artist Steve Asbell came up with an impressive set of questions to help identify autistic masking. With permission, I’m sharing them here in an easy-to-read format. They have been lightly edited and reorganized into sections.

Please note that this is not an official diagnostic resource. It’s here to help you consider whether an autism evaluation would be worth it.

Steve Asbell Autism Quotient, Revised

Give yourself a point if one or more aspects of the question apply to you.

Masking and compensating behaviors

A comic by Steve Asbell showing Stimmy Kitty quietly enduring stress and discomfort at school. It builds up like an oncoming thunderstorm.
Do you bottle things up in order to
avoid being “weird” or “too
sensitive?” (Art by Steve Asbell)

Many autistic people, regardless of whether they realize they’re autistic, learn ways to “blend in” or “get by” in a confusing and difficult world.

  1. Have you ever felt as if you were missing the built-in instruction manual that everyone else seemed to possess?
    • Did you spend an inordinate amount of time learning to copy the behavior of other kids so that they wouldn’t realize you were different?
  2. Are you able to make eye contact, but would much rather NOT make eye contact?
    • Have you taught yourself to “cheat” by looking at eyebrows, noses, or the space between the eyes?
    • Does eye contact make it harder to think clearly?
  3. Have you purposely chosen interests that fly under the radar as “normal,” yet you still prefer to enjoy peripheral aspects of that interest, such as studying the stats of baseball players or making elaborate backstories for your Barbie dolls?
  4. Have you developed coping mechanisms such as lists, schedules, stacks of paper, alarms and reminders to help you function as an adult?
    • Would you still be able to get by without them?

Subscore: _ / 4

How other people see you

Being autistic in a non-autistic world frequently means being misunderstood.

A comic by Steve Asbell showing people talking around and saying unkind things about Stimmy Kitty, who struggles to speak and then runs away crying.
Are you often misunderstood or judged when you’re trying your hardest? (Art by Steve Asbell)
  1. Do people refer to you as a “space cadet” or a “day-dreamer,” even though those terms make no sense to you?
    • Do you appreciate unusual things like constellations in the popcorn ceiling, tricks of light, numbers and textures?
  2. Do people jokingly call you “OCD” for your organizational strategies or list making, even though there are perfectly rational reasons for your behavior?
    • Does this “obsessive” behavior also bring you a sense of calm and order when you’re allowed to see it though to completion?
  3. Do people assume you’re angry at them when you’re not? Do you smile or laugh inappropriately, upsetting others? Have people told you that you have a “resting b*tch face?”
  4. When you get happy and excited, do people say you’re “too much” or tell you to calm down?
    • Are you unusually animated when genuinely excited, yet find it hard to fake this enthusiasm on demand for others?
    • Have you ever been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?

Some of this will depend on whether other people are jerks. Give yourself points if other people comment on it, regardless of whether they’re judgmental.

Subscore: _ / 4

Secret struggles

A comic by Steve Asbell shows Stimmy Kitty trying to focus on reading in a library section. She gets startled by another person making noise, and then the person acts like Stimmy is being rude for reacting that way.
Do people think you’re overreacting when you’re really underreacting? (Art by Steve Asbell)
  1. Do your anxiety levels spike when there is a change of plans, or when somebody calls, rings a doorbell or sends an email/text?
    • Do people perceive you as rude and antisocial for being unappreciative of their surprise attacks?
  2. Do you have social anxiety, but only because you have a hefty track record of rejection due to missed social cues, difficulty navigating conversations, and an inability to understand what other people are thinking?
  3. Is keeping and maintaining relationships difficult for you, even if you’re loyal to them?
    • Do you suddenly remember a good friend or relative that you literally forgot about for months or years?
    • Is it hard to initiate conversations without a prompt, even with friends?
  4. Do you find it inordinately difficult to listen to someone when other people are talking?
    • Do you have a hard time carrying on a conversation in a loud or crowded place?
  5. Do you avoid places because of the overwhelming noise, visual clutter, bright lights or overwhelming smells?
    • Do you avoid busy stores and do your shopping when things aren’t as busy?
  6. Is driving a stressful and exhausting experience for you?
    • Do you tend to take the same familiar route every time and even go so far as to avoid stressful intersections and fast highways?
    • Do you struggle making quick decisions behind the steering wheel?
    • Was learning to drive unusually difficult for you?
    • Did you learn to drive at a later age because you weren’t ready at age 16? (Or, if you’re old enough to drive, are you unable to do so at all?)
  7. Do you go through periods where you can’t even remember how to make dinner or get ready for work, and even the easiest of tasks seem insurmountable because you can’t fathom completing the steps to completion?
  8. Do emotions and sensory overload build up into a thunderstorm of rage, panic, or despair that you have no choice but to ride out until it passes? This might be a meltdown.
    • Alternately, does the buildup result in you retreating from the world and “zoning out?” This would be a “shutdown.”

Subscore: _/ 8

Different experiences

Four-panel comic of the character Stimmy Kitty rocking back and forth in a state of calm and bliss. Others don't understand how good it feels.
Do “odd” things make you truly happy? (Art by Steve Asbell)
  1. When you’re alone, do you make random noises or repeat interesting words to yourself?
    • Do you move your hands or feet because staying still feels “wrong?”
    • Bonus point if you do this around other people.
  2. Do you have a hard time recognizing or remembering faces? While not all autistics are “face blind,” many of us are.
    • Do you fail to recognize people outside of the usual context, such as meeting a teacher in the grocery store?
    • Have you ever tried to purposefully teach yourself how to identify someone?
  3. Do you have a hard time understanding why people feel the way they do without a personal point of reference?
    • Are you able to relate much more once you’ve tied their experience to something that’s happened to you?
  4. Do you have a built-in “BS detector” and despise playing along with things that infantilize you?
    • Have people said you’re “not a team player” for complaining about pointless gift exchanges or parties?
    • Do you need to understand the purpose of a task?
  5. Do you abhor the idea of making conversation with people who share nothing in common with you?
    • Would you happily go out of your comfort zone to talk with others about a shared hobby or passion?
  6. Do you have an unusually monotonous or singsong voice?
    • Do you have a hard time modulating your volume and speak with inappropriate volume for the situation?
    • Have people commented that your pitch, tone, volume, or other aspects of speech are unusual?
  7. Do you feel so closely connected to your hobbies that you can blissfully engage in them for hours and have a hard time stopping for anything else?
    • Does losing interest in them make you feel as if you’ve lost a part of yourself?
  8. Do you find it easier to do things when they’re a passion or “special interest?”
    • Were you good at cooking/gardening/organizing when it was interesting, but find it impossible to start once the passion has abandoned you?
  9. Do you feel as if you relate to animals more than other people?
    • As a child, did you secretly suspect that you were from another planet or species than that of your classmates?
    • When meeting someone similar to yourself, do you feel like you’re “home,” so to speak?
  10. While not officially criteria, this is something that many autistics will relate to:
    • Do gender, romantic and sexuality norms seem arbitrary and fake?
    • Even if you don’t identify as LGBTQ+, do you hesitate when referring to yourself as cisgender or heterosexual?
  11. Lastly, do you get emotional and feel “seen” when reading the above tweets and other content by autistics? There might be a reason for that.

Subscore: _ / 11

Total score: _/ 27

Understanding your score

A girl spinning while listening to music
Everyone has unique experiences.

There is no definitive cutoff for whether this means you’re autistic. This is because:

  • Autism is really complicated and can manifest in many different ways. It’s normal to have some traits more than other traits.
  • If you’re anything like me, you’ll overthink it and be unsure whether to give yourself points in specific areas.
    • It’s also possible that you’ll realize later that more of these apply to you than you thought.
  • A high score could mean autism… or it could mean a similar condition or a combination of them. For example, a combination of ADHD and NVLD can resemble autism very closely.
  • Neither Steve nor I are licensed psychologists and this has not undergone peer-reviewed research.

A high score means that you might want to look into getting an evaluation.

Results are variable.

  • I scored 24, including the bonus point. I’m significantly disabled and used to mask heavily.
  • On Twitter, many people who knew they were autistic scored in the 19 to 27 range
  • On Twitter, many of the people questioning whether they were autistic scored 14 or higher. Some of these people are probably autistic.
  • A few people with conditions similar to autism (like ADHD) scored in the teens.
  • My neurotypical dad scored about 2 and a half.

Please keep in mind that the Twitter scores are based on the original (un-revised) edition, and that I haven’t read all of them or conducted a statistical analysis.

Now what?

Pin it

Did you score in the teens or twenties? It might be worth investigating this. Luckily, I have a ton of wikiHow articles ready for you.

Please feel free to check out wikiHow’s autism resources. They can help you take the next steps.

I also have autism 101 posts if you’d like to learn more.

Thanks to Steve Asbell for developing this brilliant questionnaire. If you’d like it, feel free to drop by Steve’s Ko-fi or check out more comics by Steve.

If you’re in the mood, feel free to share your score and whether you’re autistic (or suspected autistic) in the comments.

Published by MissLunaRose

I'm an autistic writer and artist interested in changing the conversation about autism. I volunteer at wikiHow.

44 thoughts on “Steve Asbell’s Autistic Masking Quiz”

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  2. I took the quiz and got 27. I don’t think I did it right. I skipped ones I wasn’t sure of, but how could my score be 27 if that is the total score and I didn’t give a point for every single question?

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    1. This is pretty late, but the things I can think of are:
      1. You made a math error (it happens to the best of us)
      2. You gave yourself more than one point per numbered question. For example, if “Question 1” offers 3 examples and 2 of them describe you, that’s 1 point because it’s all Question 1.

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    1. I hope you’re able to find answers and new ways to understand yourself better. Please feel free to explore all the resources I’ve shared.

      When I learned I was autistic, I was able to make my life so much better. My hope is to help other autistic people be able to do the same. 🙂

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  4. I am 14 years old and I am wondering if I am autistic. I have been wondering this for a while, and I scored a 21 on this quiz. ( I wasn’t able to answer the question about driving because I’m not old enough to drive.) Part of me feels like I can’t actually be autistic because I get straight A’s in school. I have always spotted patterns in things, walked on my toes until I was about five, and never know the right thing to say in a conversation. Often people assume that I am mad or bored when I am really not. I’m always scared to start a conversation because I think that people will judge me. One time I had to leave a shoe store with a lot of people because I felt very uncomfortable and like I couldn’t function. I have weird interests, and can obsess over things for months at a time, and then move on to something else. The strangest things, (such as peach tea) can make me happier than things that I feel I should be happy about. I saw somewhere that many autistic people struggled with playing pretend games as a child, but I never struggled with this and still feel like doing it today. I also have no problems understanding figures of speech, and I’ve heard that this is common in autistic people. I struggle to make friends with people my age, and understand people who are older or younger than me much better. Part of me thinks that I am definitely autistic, but I worry that my parents won’t believe me because I do well in school. I feel like if I tell people, they’ll accuse me of faking it, because the only autistic person most of them know is a nonverbal girl from our school. I’m not sure if this matters, but I am a girl.

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    1. I’m definitely autistic and I got a 4.0 in college. Good grades do not negate disability.

      You definitely sound neurodivergent. Autism could definitely be a possibility, because you sound similar to me in many ways. (Though you should still read up on other conditions too!)

      At this stage, I would recommend research. Delve into the wikiHow articles I listed here and visit some of the citations. (That includes the article on how to tell your parents.) Read my whole blog if you’d like. Read other blogs and websites about autism, while steering away from anti-autism sources that tend to paint a negative picture and/or promote pseudoscience.

      It sounds like you have good reason to be asking the questions you’re asking. So it’s worth exploring that.

      Also: in case it helps, you now know one person who has a 4.0, is fully verbal except when in serious overwhelm, is employed, and is autistic with huge developmental delays. We’re all different. Use me as an example if needed when discussing the diversity of autism.

      And please feel free to reach out to the Autistic community online. Your experiences sound very normal, at least to autistic people. You’re not alone.

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      1. Agreed. Not female, but I was considered a genius in school (skipped 6th grade, graduated early while attending college, on the dean’s honor list in college). Lots of autistics become fascinated by one or more subjects in school, and really excel in them. For those subjects, life is easy; but for the subjects that aren’t interesting, it’s a slog uphill through waist-deep mud. History was like that for me – too many meaningless names and dates to memorize for no reason. I learned the lessons of history fast, but dumped all of the names and dates from my head as soon as the class was over.

        I’ve gone on to do a bunch of meaningful stuff in my career, some of which you’d recognize. Currently working for Microsoft, working on getting them to pay me to develop my new operating system. Plenty of autistic people have good careers, and some are even CEOs or similar. I ran a consulting firm for about 10 years, for instance. What matters is that you understand yourself, and how you work best, then find ways to use that to get where you want to go. Often, that means going way off the beaten path, so you’ll need to get comfortable with doing that from time to time. Just be the best *you* that you can be, and don’t expect what works for others to necessarily work for you.

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        1. Well, congratulations on finding a place where you can do good work! I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find that myself; I’ve just entered the workforce and so far it’s a challenge.

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  5. It seems to me that I got a 25 out of 27, and I know that I’m autistic. In fact, getting diagnosed was one of the best things to happen to me as I was put in special resources/therapies and learned how to adapt at an early age. I do often wonder which of my behaviors are masking and which are not; my parents had to teach me neurotypical behaviors so that I avoid getting made fun of in school (which rarely happened – most of it was behind my back, but being unaware has its perks). I am thankful for my supportive parents as they treated me as a person – my Mom had to fight the doctors to get a diagnosis since the doctors did not believe her (I was seeking pressure while the doctor thought most autistic kids would be adverse to said simulation). I am also curious if the special therapies taught me how to mask or how to adapt, but I do appreciate them.

    What I wanted to say here is that an Autism diagnosis really makes the difference, and that having Autism is not the end of the world. Part of why many people with Autism struggle is not on themselves, but that the wider society is not built for them. When I meet another person with Autism, I seem to form a strong bond straight away.

    I will say that I got pretty emotional reading through the questions. It felt like someone was uncovering parts of my life that I shoved aside or didn’t make sense until now. One suggestion I have is to add a question about toe walking or other sensory behaviors. I say this because I walked on my toes for half of my life, and I had to get surgery to solve that problem. If it weren’t for that surgery, then I would be in a wheelchair by now. I likely walked on my tip toes as a result of sensory issues (ie: the carpet was too brushy or something). However, I noticed that toe walking is a common trend among kids with Autism.

    Thank you for the masking quiz Steve Asbell and Miss Luna Rose.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your ideas. You’re right, a diagnosis is so important. I, too, find it easy to bond with fellow autistic people.

      I’m sorry to hear that your toe-walking messed up your legs/feet to the point that you needed surgery. I hope your feet are okay now. I toe-walk a little bit, but luckily, only sometimes.

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  6. I think I may be on the spectrum. I got a 22, including the bonus point. There are also multiple questions that got a “maybe???” but I didn’t count those.

    (This is also the second time I took this test because I first took it last night in a bit of a rush without much reflecting or thinking back to childhood. I got an 18 then.)

    One of my brothers was diagnosed with autism in high school (I was still in middle school), and my dad believes that he may also be on the spectrum. I’m wondering if I was never diagnosed because I’m AFAB (I am a nonbinary trans man) and because I was labeled as “talented and gifted” as a child.

    One thing that has been rather shocking and upsetting to realize is how different I was in kindergarten. I am 21 now and I’m anxious and closed off. I feel like I barely know myself. When I remember my childhood self, though, I remember how I was so much more assertive and less self-conscious. I can’t help but feel as though going through school – my first real introduction to society – made me mask my autism without realizing it.

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    1. A score of 22 sounds like it means something, as does the fact that autism appears to run in the family. I’d definitely recommend checking out the articles linked at the bottom. They share tips and resources that can help you.

      The good news is that once you have a strong sense that you’re autistic, it’s more uphill from there. I was basically a nervous wreck at the time of my diagnosis, but with self-knowledge, I transitioned into being a pretty well-adjusted adult.

      You’ll never be exactly the person you once were. However, if you want to be more like you used to be, you can. You can take baby steps towards a happier life. Many people’s lives improve after they realize they’re autistic. That can happen for you too. 🙂

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      1. I’m definitely planning on doing some reading and research, so those links will get some good use! Also, thank you – both for this article, and your reply.

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  7. I got 24. I’m 45, and a lot of things are starting to piece together for me. I was never diagnosed because I did really well in school. But I get sensory overload a lot, and I refused to eat in the cafeteria in high school because the smell bothered me so much. I often look for patterns. Face blindness has been a problem for me in that I recognize faces, but I have the hardest time connecting them with names. One of my best friends, I offended her terribly by calling her by the name of the receptionist at the school we both worked at early on in our relationship. We now laugh about it, but she thought I was racist because of it. It was mortifying for me. As well, I will recognize someone, but it takes me like five minutes to think of where I know their face from. I don’t know if I will pursue a diagnosis, but thank you for posting this.

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    1. I’m glad you’re starting to make sense of the world and the way you are. It sounds like you’re definitely neurodivergent, since you mention sensory processing issues and face-blindness. Autism is a definite possibility at this point, though there are also several conditions that resemble autism, so I’d encourage you to check out the article on that just in case.

      Pursuing a diagnosis is a personal choice, especially if you don’t think you’ll need much outside support. Regardless, the Autistic community is here for you as you work this out and find out what it means to you.

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    1. It’s great that you’re finding explanations for the way you are! I hope that the articles linked at the end might help you. Finding answers is the first step to leading a better life

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    1. I can’t say for sure. Some autistic people do score 19. It’s also possible that you’re neurodivergent in another way (like ADHD or NVLD). This test doesn’t give definitive results.

      I’d recommend going through the articles listed at the bottom. They can help you improve your understanding of autism and similar conditions, offering you more insights that you may find useful.

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  13. I apologize in advance for writing such a long comment.

    I got 25. The individual parts of the questions threw me off a bit but I think I added it up correctly?

    I would be ABSOLUTELY lost without my reminders, notes around the house, alarms, and I almost forget how to execute my daily routine if I don’t have a prompt to start me off. Sometimes I actually have to close my eyes to understand what someone is saying because my brain is overwhelmed by other sensory input, it’s horrible trying to have a conversation anywhere loud and busy.

    I wasn’t sure why, but I’ve offended people by not seeming as excited about something outwardly as I am on the inside about something. I have been accused of having BP and I have a diagnosis for BPD for having intense reactions to things, and I’m being treated for ADD.

    I found the popcorn ceiling question interesting cause I’ve always done that but never really thought anything of it. I’m always finding patterns or shapes in random textures.

    I didn’t really think about face-blindness, but I recall having run in to a mental health worker I used to see while she was helping to run a public event and I didn’t recognize her until she called me by name and I saw her nametag, even then I almost forgot where I knew her from before I put everything together. I can remember faces in my head if I think of someone, but it’s not the first thing I recall. I generally use their voice, hair, the way someones feet sound when they walk or how they open a door or put something down.

    In general socializing is difficult because I have no idea where to start or how to go along striking up conversation unless I know there is something we both know or like. I go in to conversations with people I haven’t met before and think to myself, “Okay, people typically ask other about their families, work, hobbies… Now what?”

    I’ve considered the possibility of myself having autism in the past, but since I’m an adult and I’ve adapted so many ways of behaving like and trying my best to function like a neurotypical, I don’t really know what to do with this.

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    1. It definitely sounds possible that you could be autistic.

      Even if you don’t pursue a diagnosis, I think that self-knowledge could be useful. Ever since I was diagnosed, I began making adjustments to make my life more autistic-friendly: stimming more, getting noise-canceling headphones, unmasking when it feels safe, and letting go of neurotypical standards a bit. In my case, discovering I’m autistic was one of the best things to happen to me.

      Your life story, of course, is different from mine. It’s up to you how much you want to pursue this and what type of lifestyle choices you might want to make in order to make yourself more comfortable and happy.

      The Autistic community is here for you as you sort this out.

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    1. I don’t really understand what you mean there, but keep in mind that:

      1. this isn’t the sole arbiter of whether you’re autistic; it’s just a quiz based on a few autistic people’s feelings
      2. even if you’re non-autistic, there may be another explanation for why you feel this way
      3. there’s nothing wrong with being neurotypical either

      I don’t know why you made that comment, but I hope something here helps.

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  16. I definitely answered yes to everything. But I have the confidence of an NHS (U.K.) diagnosis.

    I think if I didn’t, I would be tempted to talk myself out of several of them.

    This should be in the hands of every adult autism diagnostic clinician!

    Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Impostor syndrome can be a real stinker. Mine went away when my dad and I were asked to the Vineland questionnaire and it came back in the “moderate to severe” range for developmental delay. No way I could be faking that.

      Yes, I’m really glad this is reaching people. Most of the credit goes to Steve Asbell.

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  17. Pingback: Autistic Masking Quiz – SPARC

  18. I meet all of the “unusual person” aspects of autism, such as intense passions, strange happiness behaviors, having to teach myself to “normalize” (eww!), and not feeling like I came from any sort of place that my peers did, but none of the “developmental disability” ones. I know that you are well-versed in disorders – does that sound like it could connect to anything that you have heard of?

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    1. Quite a few conditions are similar to autism. Off the top of my head, I would recommend looking into…

      ADHD https://www.wikihow.com/Distinguish-Between-ADHD-and-Autism
      Nonverbal Learning Disorder (strong verbal skills, struggles in other areas) https://www.wikihow.com/Recognize-the-Signs-of-NVLD-%28Nonverbal-Learning-Disability%29
      Social Communication Disorder
      There’s also a non-disability condition called Sensory Processing Sensitivity. People who have it are sometimes called Highly Sensitive People (HSPs).

      This one lists a ton of other conditions that can look similar to autism.
      https://www.wikihow.com/Distinguish-Between-Autism-and-Other-Conditions

      It does sound like you’re likely neurodivergent. Also, keep in mind that not every autistic person has developmental delays early on; I was on or ahead of schedule for early childhood milestones and then behind schedule for things like bike-riding, clothes-washing, driving, and other late childhood/teen milestones.

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  19. I loved this. I included this in my self assessment docs with running commentary by me after doing it on Steve’s tweets. For years I wondered why I could tell 2 very different people apart or why there seemed to be so many disturbing patterns in tiles. Get almost all of these fully and most partially. I’m a great masker but it exhausts the heck out of me. I sometimes feel my special interests are driving me to do them rather than me doing them because I had energy to

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    1. I’m glad you’re getting information. Please feel free to check out the wikiHow articles for help if you’re pursuing a diagnosis.

      I hope you can find time to take off that mask and enjoy your special interests.

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      1. Thanks Luna. Appreciate all your assistance. Sometimes masking can be (exhaustively) helpful but I’m trying to find times where I can unmask more. Interestingly I was chatting with my CEO at work and they suggested a great ASD focussed clinicthat their friend went too. I think that I’m in a good place to have an accepting workplace. Yay Arts industry

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  20. 28 including the bonus point.

    I was already pretty sure about my self-diagnosis (after getting a bunch of fairly shocking childhood stories from my parents — like sitting to one side of preschool play for 6 months watching and refusing to participate until I *understood* it –), but wow. This is nailing all the ways that autistic people can look allistic to outsiders while having an internally autistic-type perception.

    I almost said no on the face-blindness question, since I’m definitely not face-blind, but then I read the subsidiary bullet points: I do consciously file away traits in order to identify people (“right, she’s the one with that hairdo”) *and* I often can’t place people out of context.

    I make eye contact but I realized I generally prefer to talk while facing away from the person I’m talking to… I just check occasionally to make sure they haven’t walked away.

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    1. Yes, Steve came up with some really insightful questions.

      Just so you know, face-blindness isn’t always severe. It can be mild or moderate. Based on what you’re saying, you may have mild or moderate face-blindness. (I took a test once and got a score that was average for people with prosopagnosia, so I consider myself face-blind. I may not recognize people out of context, I try to know them by hair or other traits, and I have failed to recognize my mom a few times when she changes her hair.)

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  21. EEEE!! It includes the comics and alfj;flsdajfl I’m so happy! Steve is the one who got me to re watch Star vs the Forces of Evil again! So shout out to him! And I love this I love quizzes like this I wanna take it even though i am already dxed.

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    1. I really enjoyed putting this together; Steve’s questionnaire is such a good one.

      You can totally take the quiz! (I did too, after all.) Comment with your results if you like. I think it may be helpful for possibly-autistic readers to know what scores autistic people tend to get.

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  22. That “constellations in the popcorn ceiling” detail was especially true to my experience, and one that I haven’t seen used as an example for these types of questionnaires before. I always did this as a young kid (and still do!), long before I even considered the possibility of being autistic. I’ve also seen faces in cars before (the headlights resembling eyes, and so on). In your humble opinion, do you think this could be connected, or just a mundane form of pareidolia?

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    1. I don’t know!

      I looked for constellations in popcorn ceilings, as well as the walls. The bathroom wall had one that looked like a jumping girl. One place I stayed at had wood ceilings and it looked like Halloween monsters above my head. I loved that.

      I think autistic people have an eye for detail, so we notice these things more than non-autistics do.

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